


Heaven in a Glass Jar

by PaxDuane



Series: Love More Than the Stars In The Sky [1]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Academia, Adopted Shinsou Hitoshi, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, F/M, Loads and Loads of Characters - Freeform, M/M, Mythology References, Mythology theory, Other, Quirk Biology, Quirk theory, Senshi arrive!, Shinsou Hitoshi Replaces Mineta Minoru, Shinsou Hitoshi has a family, Shinsou Hitoshi-centric, Three Musketeers references, but soon you'll see why I didn't just do extra warnings on that, crossover revealed thanks to a talking cat, different hero names, divine biology, god family members, good family members, like it wasn't clear before, mpreg mention, op characters, puns, quirks and godly powers are related but not the same, quirks are weird, tags will be added as chapters are added, the rating originally went up because of the biology lesson, this story is a monster that will eat me, warnings and categories will be updated as needed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-07-20 08:15:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16133279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaxDuane/pseuds/PaxDuane
Summary: Shinsou Hitoshi has been passed around various family members for as long as he can remember, and no one can figure out where his quirk came from in the family until a mysterious woman shows up and tells him that he has the same quirk as her aunt and takes him in, prepared to let him become a hero. But Takenaka Taiyouko and Takenaka Shizuka, her little sister, are just the tip of the iceburg for that side of the family. And when it comes to Taiyouko, things are going to get messy.AU where Shinsou Hitoshi is related to deities and takes after a very specific one, but is adopted by a very obscure one.





	1. Book of Revelations

**Author's Note:**

> Hi y'all, this is my first fic in awhile, and my first on AO3. I still have some hanging around FFN from early high school though. My favorite comments are theories. I'm a folklorist and historian by day, so that contributed to this mess. Not much is set in stone for plot, so things will update as we go.
> 
> EDIT 10/19/2018: OP for this arc is Red Velvet's Power Up - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiHSVQy9xN8

Shinsou Hitoshi has been passed around mysterious family members all his memory, none of them ever sure exactly how he is related to him and becoming fed up within a year or so. It’s the brainwashing quirk--it scares them and none of them can determine where it came from in the family. 

In his second year of middle school, someone comes to visit the house he’s currently staying in. She’s got white hair thrown back into a ponytail and dark skin, with glasses that glint so he can’t quite tell what color her eyes are. 

“My name is Takenaka Taiyouko,” she says, smiling gently. “I live in Musutafu, near UA. I’m an academic, a classicist who specializes in mythological and folk quirk history. I’m not home a lot, but my sister is your age.” She pauses. “I heard you have Obaa-sama’s quirk.”

He’s been sitting, slumped on the couch between the couple currently caring for him, but that, hearing that there’s a precedence for his quirk, makes him shoot up. “What?”

Takenaka-san smiles. “Do you want to be a hero, Hito-chan? Because that’s what Obaa-sama was known for--making heroes.”

The constant buffering of people telling him it’s a villain’s quirk fades away from his mind.

“It’s called ‘Brainwashing,’ and I have to have people respond to me before I can control them,” he says. “That’s my quirk. Are you sure…?”

She cuts him off with a laugh. “Yes, that was certainly Obaa-sama’s signature. We were polite, though. We called it ‘Authority’ instead of that. And maybe it works a little differently than hers, but we can work with that. Still, it’s not the kind of quirk that can get through the heroics entrance exams.” She pauses and shakes her head. “They’ve found it’s safer to use robots when examining students, but that just means the flashier quirks are some of the only useful ones. Of course, if you train hard enough with Authority, things might work a little different for you.”

He pauses, stares at her, at the different name and the information she’s throwing out. 

“So, I’ll ask you again,” she says, leaning down with her elbows on her knees and her fingers steepled in front of her. She looks over her glasses, revealing one shining gold eye and one brilliant indigo eye. “Do you want to be a hero, Hito-chan?”

He meets her eyes, wondering how close his shade of purple is to hers. “More than anything.”

She smiles gently again, then straightens up and snorts derisively. “So little imagination.”

***

Shinsou Hitoshi moves in with Takenaka-san and her sister, Shizuka, between terms, finding a place at Shizuka’s school. Both avoided calling him by his full name. Takenaka-san continues to call him Hito, while Shizuka calles him Shin. It’s like they are avoiding his name’s reference to his quirk, reminding him that he’s a person and that he has a heart. 

Shizuka, despite her own name being written like “serene,” is a crybaby and a teaser, white haired like her sister but with eyes that are both indigo, if a little more blue. She drags him along to an arcade after school sometimes and doesn’t talk about the Takenaka parents.

He’s getting the feeling they might be a little like him, passed from place to place, when Takenaka-san disappears. She’s there one morning and doesn’t come home by the next.

Shizuka, smearing blackberry spread on toast, explains, “She got called to lecture somewhere, probably, or she got a call about The Incident, or she got a call like the one that brought you home.”

Hitoshi pauses, staring. “She got a call about me?”

“She looks for relatives,” she says, taking a large bite of toast, “By tracking similar quirks.”

“Ah.”

“A lot of us got scattered over the last two centuries, trying to avoid someone. It’s a lot of given up babies and dead parents and confusion. Aneki is doing her best to connect everyone again. I think you were with the other side of your family.”

He nods and slathers his own toast with butter and mandarin orange jelly. “When will she be back, do you think?”

“Maybe about a week?” she muses. “I hope the teachers don’t need anything signed.”

***

Takenaka-san video calls them two nights later, right as Hitoshi is getting out of the shower.

“Hito-chan,” she calls over the static, a bright (if predatory; she apparently can’t help that though) smile on her face and her eyes shining without glasses. “I want you to join Shizuka’s dojo. Get some training in. I’ve been…” She looks off-screen and makes a shooing gesture. “I know, I know, Atchi, I’m getting there.” She looks at them again. “I’m going to have you talk to one of the family members I know is in Japan about working on Authority. They’ve got a different version of it, really, along with other stuff. She shares more with me. When are you next off school?”

“Uh, weekend,” Hitoshi says, leaning over Shizuka’s bun-head to look into the camera, towel still around his neck. 

Takenaka-san nods. “Okay, Shizuka, can you get him money from your account for tickets to and from Ise? Mie prefecture.” She pauses. “You go to Nagoya and then take the Mie rapid train to Iseshi Station. You’re going to go to Jingu to meet her.”

Hitoshi pauses for a moment, trying to remember why that name,  _ Jingu _ , is important. “The shrine to Amaterasu-omikami?”

“Yeah, Ama-chan will meet you there.”

Hitoshi stares at the screen, at Takenaka-san’s glinting canines. “Takenaka-san?”

She smiles wider.

“Are you...Am I meeting the actual Amaterasu-omikami?” There’s no way. No way in--.

“I got permission for you to call her Ama-nee-sama,” Takenaka-san says. 

When Shizuku finally gets his attention, five minutes have passed. He’s apparently been screaming.

“We’re family with Kami,” he whispers hoarsely.

Shizuku sighs. “You and I are family with Kami. Others are too. Aneki and Ama-nee-sama. They’re, technically…”

Shizuku shakes him back into reality again, another twenty minutes. His throat is raw.

“He’s taking it very well,” Takenaka-san says from the computer. “If the neighbors complain, get them to think the apartment is haunted.”

He tries to ask, “This is taking it well?” but his vocal chords are shot.

Takenaka-san makes a worried noise. “I’m going to call my old sensei, see if Recovery Girl can stop by? He needs those.”

Hitoshi takes another second to connect that somehow Takenaka-san knows someone who can ask Recovery Girl to take a look at him. Because his life no longer makes sense. He needs to learn to sign, honestly. He writes the question out on a piece of paper.

“Yeah, I’m not allowed to have her number because she says it will encourage me to use my, heh, quirk more.” she grins. 

Shizuka pats his back.

“I’ll give you guys video calls more later. I may only be back for a few days at a time for awhile. Things are getting…” Takenaka-san trails off, then says, “Sticky.” Someone, a masculine voice in the background, repeats the word loudly.

She signs off and fifteen minutes later a little old woman with a cane shaped like a syringe (Recovery Girl) and a mouse(?) are at the front door. The neighbors have already been convinced the screaming was a ghost, somehow.

“So, you’re Takenaka-chan’s younger siblings,” the mouse(???) says. “I’m Nedzu, the principal at UA.”

Recovery Girl gives Hitoshi a kiss and he can feel his _vocal chords_ _healing_ and it is _not_ fun.

“Will you two be applying?” Nedzu asks. “Middle school, right?”

“Second year,” Shizuka says, ruffling Hitoshi’s hair. “And Shin-chan is more like Aneki’s son than another sibling. I’m applying to support, I think.”

“Quirks?” Nedzu asks.

Shizuka looks torn, then says, “Energy Manipulation--I can use it for blasts or healing, though I’m not so good at healing small things yet.” Hitoshi stares at her, because she and Takenaka-san have always called it “Moonlight” around him. But, he supposes, it’s like how his is Brainwashing on paper and Authority to the family.

“Brainwashing,” Hitoshi croaks. Nedzu turns to him. “If someone answers me, I can mind control them.” He pauses, grimaces. “I want to be a hero.”

Nedzu studies him. “If you don’t get any points in the practical, we’ll put you in general studies.”

“I know sir,” he replies, getting used to his healed throat again. “But Takenaka-san said something about a classmate getting transferred thanks to the sports festival. And I’m going to be training physically, so hopefully I’ll be able to take some of the robots out.”

Shizuka frowns. “He can do it. He’s going to be a great hero.”

Recovery Girl smiles.

“I want to be out there, not just support,” Hitoshi adds. “I mean, I know I could be great in support, with negotiations and interrogations, but I also want to be out there, helping people. I want to be like Eraserhead. He saved me once, when I was a kid. I think he was just starting out, and I was with some different relatives, and they didn’t like me. I tried finding merchandise after, but there wasn’t any. That’s when I figured out what underground heroes were.”

Nedzu’s eyes light up. “Ah, underground, using your quirk as extra help in a fight. That would be good.” He pauses, and it’s like his brain is going five kilometers a minute. “Well… we’ll see how you do on the practical. If you don’t get any points, even with a year of physical training, I think I might be able to come up with an alternative practical. I’ve been trying to convince the board for years, even before...Takenaka’s classmate’s rise in the Sports Festival. I’ll tell them it’s a trial run. But, still, try in the practical.”

Hitoshi nods.

“Now, I should probably mention… I know Shizuka-chan might know, because of how long Takenaka has been in this business, but you’re new here.”

“Three months,” Hitoshi says.

“Takenaka and I have paperwork set up so I’m your legal guardian when she’s out of the country. Should I get them ID passes for the school, Chiyo-san? I should, shouldn’t I. Takenaka mentioned things were very busy with wherever she is, right now.”

Hitoshi and Shizuka exchange a look. 

“I actually didn’t know that,” Shizuka says.

Nedzu nods. “Well, in case you need anything, I live on UA campus. I’ll send you gate passes and if you need anything you are to use them and ask someone where I am. Do you understand?”

“Yes sir,” the two chorus.

“Alright, then. We’ll leave you two to it.” And just like that (only no, it includes escorting the two pro-heroes back to the front door and thanking them for their time and help and then returning to the living room to freak out in an email to Takenaka-san) they’re alone again.

Quietly, as they head off to crash (because the healing actually took enough energy out of Hitoshi that he thinks he’ll be able to sleep) they whisper to each other, “What the fuck?”

  
  
  



	2. Walk the Path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hitoshi starts to push Authority past the boundaries he was taught.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may update more here at the beginning, but it'll dissolve into less frequent updates soon. I've got two original books to write and a history exhibit to plan. I'm also not super thrilled with this chapter, but it's getting us where we need to go.
> 
> EDIT 10/19/2018: OP for this arc is Red Velvet's Power Up - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiHSVQy9xN8

That weekend, the train ride to Ise was close to boring. Hitoshi had an audiobook on his phone, a translation of the Odyssey in English...Wilson. It was pretty good, and keeping up with a different language helped him concentrate even more as the scenery flew by. Even on the Kodama train, which didn’t go as fast, he wouldn’t finish it.

He paused it when he got to Iseshi Station, eight and a half hours still left, and hoofed it to the Outer Shrine where he was supposed to me _Ama-nee-sama_.

He wasn’t going to get over that. He may be getting over the general “hi, our family consists of deities or their descendants with mortals, kay, thanks, bye” bomb that Takenaka-san had dropped on him, but this was _Amaterasu-omikami_. Most of the family that he had stayed with before the Takenakas were devote Shintoists. This was decidedly freaky, like some of the old urban fantasy books that Takenaka-san had in her house.

He’s looking around the gate of the Outer Shrine, trying to look suitably “relative looking for you” when his brain finally pushed past that to what Shizuka had said when they met Nezu.

_“Shin-chan is more like Aneki’s son than another sibling.”_

That particular sentence doesn’t have time to fully wipe him out, though, because someone slaps his backpack (one colored similarly to his hair, that Shizuka had gotten him for this trip because it had to hold overnight clothes).

“So, you’re Hito-chan,” a woman with pale skin and a very big messy bun says, grinning at him. She’s wearing a yellow tank top and long, black shorts with lots of pockets, with a large backpack on her back and a cloth tote in her hand. “Come on, we’re going to eat at a place on Oharaimachi, then we’re going camping.”

“Camping?” he asks. “Ah, you’re Ama-nee-sama, right?”

She stares at him, then ruffled his hair. “Yeah, I got all the stuff for camping. It’ll be easier to teach you if we are a bit further away from all of this. That’s what Ise-Shima National Park is for.” She grins again. “Toyou-kun made us food.”

“Are we allowed? Wait, Toyou-kun? Like…?”

She slaps a hand over his mouth and puts a finger to her lips. “No full names around here. It’ll confuse people, since we live here.”

He nods and she relaxes her hand, instead putting it against the back of his neck to direct him through the crowds. It’s getting close to evening, so people are milling about trying to figure out where to get food, just like them.

Ama-nee-sama pulls him into a place marked Dangorochaya to get a couple of beef skewers and another place to grab some anko dango. They eat as they walk around, with her occasionally pointing and nodding at something, usually related to temple life. They never go fully into the Inner Temple area though.

Finally, around five, they head back out into Ise, looping around and heading into the National Forest. She takes him through an area with no path, though he never trips on anything, eventually coming out of the forest into a cliffside clearing.

“We’ll camp here,” she says. “I’ll set up, but you’ll have to set up everything inside the tent, though. I can’t be covered for long before the sun sets.”

He stares at her. “Because of your quirk?” he asks. Part of him wants to slap himself. Amaterasu-omikami is kami, she’s a god. Gods don’t have quirks, or at least they don’t have just one. But Takenaka-san always refers to their powersets as their quirk.

Ama-nee-sama laughs. “Yeah, because of my quirk.” She starts putting up the tent. “Taiyou-chan started that trend, calling what we can do quirks as the mortals started getting their own abilities. The next stage of evolution, they call it. It makes it a lot easier to be out and about, and to use our abilities while out and about, and just interact with people! After the first people with abilities whittled down to barely a percentage, we couldn’t do that as much. Always with the intermediaries.”

Hitoshi sits on the grass, looking out at the ocean. “What about those of us with just one? Or, I guess, with a really simple quirk? In the family, I mean.”

She hums. “You’re part mortal, sometimes mostly mortal. You get one dominion, with all of its blocks and drawbacks. You’ve got Authority, and Taiyou-chan thinks it’s from _that_ cousin. Authority is a pretty common part of all of our quirks, those with… Well, with the way you’re calling it, the more complicated quirks. You’re special because Authority is part of what makes our quirks divine. We can tell the world what to do.”

“But I can only activate my quirk if someone responds to me,” Hitoshi protested. “How do we know it’s really Authority? The doctors call it Brainwashing.”

Ama-nee-sama snorts. “Look, twinkie, mortals are all about what scares them. They go for the worst case scenario. Besides, that’s just a block in place. Yeah, it’ll probably work that way for humans for a long time. Animals too. But plants, earth… Hell, even the tech that people use now. Once we get over that block, you’ll be able to turn your phone off and on with a word. You could turn off a camera in a news helicopter with the right range.”

“So, I could turn off all the robots in the UA heroics practical exam?” he asks.

She pauses, straightens up, and looks at him curiously. “UA? Heroics?” She huffs, but it seems amused. “You think so small, twinkie.”

Hitoshi scowled. “So many people have said that my quirk, that what I can do, is a villain’s quirk. I want to prove them wrong.”

She hit him on the head with a tent pole, really just loosening her grip so it dropped against his forehead. “Look, if we’re right, and you have that cousin’s quirk, then you can make a difference in this world even without being a hero. And besides, if you have it, you’re closer to us than most people. Probably close if not on par with Shizuka.” She went back to setting up the tent, which was bigger than he’d expected. “But we can help you with that.”

“So what are we going to do to, uh, get over that block?” he asked.

She tied the tent off to stakes in the ground. “Pick a tree.”

He raised his eyebrows high. “Okay?”

“We’re starting big, but specific.”

He eyed the treeline, until settling on one of the smaller behemoths. “Okay, now what?”

“Keep all of your focus on it, then you’re going to activate your quirk and say: tree, crack.”

He leaned back on his hands, trying to focus on that tree. Something tugged at him, like a string connecting his vocal chords to the trunk. He activated his quirk. “ ** _Tree, crack_**.”

He woke up to stars in the sky, a lick of light in his periphery, and Ama-nee-sama humming next to him while roasting marshmallows. “Did I overdo it?”

Ama-nee-sama gave another amused huff. “Take a look, twinkie.”

He rolled over onto his stomach, staring at the tree line. It seemed untouched...Maybe a bit further back. “It doesn’t look like I did anything.”

“I forgot to tell you about the root systems,” Ama-nee-sama said. “You wiped out an entire line. It’s hard to see the ruins, since it’s dark.” She went quiet again. “You definitely have that cousin’s quirk.”

He peered out at the treeline again, now able to identify the piles of split wood piled where the trees had been before. “I… That’s a lot. Is that why I passed out?”

She doesn’t answer for a long moment then says, “One of the pieces hit you upside the head, so I don’t know. No skin damage but… Probably should get checked out for a concussion when you get home tomorrow. We’re tough stock, but you’re still at least half mortal.”

“Ugh.” He sets his forehead against the ground. “Can I have a marshmallow?”

“Go for it.”

They spend the rest of the night eating s’mores. Ama-nee-sama goes over some basic rules for using Authority on massive areas.

“You need to be sure of your radius, otherwise you’ll get overwhelmed.”

Eventually, he falls asleep against her shoulder.

The next morning, the fractured trees have disappeared.

“Had my attendants take them away while you slept,” Ama-nee-sama explains. “Before I deliver you back to the station, I wanted to go over a couple things with you.”

Hitoshi is half naked, attempting to change his clothes without looking her in the eye. “Okay.”

“First, get your head checked out.”

He nods.

“Second… Since you’re Taiyou-chan’s kid…You’ll be running into some others who call her Okaa-sama. Not all of them are directly related. The person I’m most worried about, he’s called Oz. He’s the son of one of Taiyou-chan’s more frequent partners. He’s going to take one look at you and see a challenge.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oz is the kind of guy who will make you need him before he leaves. One of my attendants dated him for awhile. And let’s be real, Hito-chan, you’re adorable. You’re just his type.”

He looks over at her, tugging on his fresh jeans. “I…” He pauses.

“No one’s ever really wanted you like that, you mean?” Ama-nee-sama laughs and it sounds deadly. “Mortals always see the worst case scenario. Oz is not mortal. Just be careful of him.”

Hitoshi nods again, buttoning everything up and shoving his dirty clothes back into his bag. “Hey, can I use Authority on...other people with Authority?”

Ama-nee-sama smirks. “Hey is your phone alive? You didn’t turn it off last night.”

He files the smirk away for later, instead digging out his (dead) phone and the UA access card Nedzu had made for him. “It’s dead. Guess it was searching for signal all night.”

She smiles. “Use Authority to make it fully charged.”

He hears his neck crack with how fast he turns to look at her. “I can do that?”

“Try it.”

He looks down at his phone, feels the same tug from the trees, and gulps. Then, he activates his quirk, though he keeps his voice soft, “ _Shinsou Hitoshi phone, full charge._ ”

It blinks awake and, after booting up, has a full green bar.

Hitoshi looks over at Ama-nee-sama. “Seriously?”

“It’s useful. Now, let’s get you home.”

***

UA is huge, but his entry card works. Despite it being Sunday, there are a few students taking advantage of the training area. They notice him, dead on his feet in a purple tank top that he may have stolen from Takenaka-san’s closet and the other clean clothes he’d brought to Ise.

“Hey, what are you doing here, kid?” one says, running up to him. His eyes are very small and he is very buff. Hitoshi’s eyes widen because of how buff this kid is under the workout clothes he’s wearing.

“Uh, I’m looking for Nedzu’s office… Or, uh, maybe Recovery Girl first? If she’s on campus.”

The kid _picks him up_. “Recovery Girl is indeed on campus. You look exhausted. Why are you here?”

“Concussion check,” he says, trying to comprehend the situation. “Heroics student?”

“Yup! Togata Mirio, Class 1-A.”

“Cool. I want to go into Heroics.”

“Oh? What’s your quirk?”

They’ve arrived inside, in front of a room filled with cots.

Recovery Girl notices them. “Ah, Togata. Did you…” She trails off. “Takenaka-chan’s son. I didn’t expect to see you.”

“Went camping, got hit by a branch, told to get a concussion check.”

“Togata, you can leave him and go back to practice. I’ll take care of everything.”

Once the Heroics kid is gone, Recovery Girl fixes him with a look and puts him through the tests.

“No signs of a concussion,” she concludes, releasing a long breath.

Hitoshi scratches the back of his neck. “Thanks for checking.”

The look hasn’t left her face, though. “You should tell Nedzu you’ve been here. His office is down the hall, second right turn, then the main door.”

“Is something wrong?” he asks.

She shakes her head and smiles. “No, I just worry about Takenaka’s family. You know, her quirk is one of those that can cause damage when she uses more power? Even as a Gen Ed student she was always using it. I worry any relative might be the same, especially if they became a hero.”

Hitoshi files the information away for later. “Thank you, Recovery Girl.” Then he heads off to Nedzu’s office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 10/19/2018: ED for this arc is Twice's What is Love - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0p1bmr0EmE


	3. Ars Goetia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hitoshi meets some of the people who are special in his new family's life on his birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 10/19/2018: OP for this arc is Red Velvet's Power Up - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiHSVQy9xN8

Hitoshi has to admit, Principal Nedzu kind of scares him. Not in the “that is a talking animal” way or even “that talking animal is more intelligent than me” way. It’s just that there’s something unsettling. It’s like staring at Takenaka-san’s teeth when she smiles, or Shizuka occasionally breaking into his room to cuddle, looking like she’s killed someone, and when he comments on how they look in his usual sarcastic way the answer is, “Thanks, it’s the trauma.”

It could just be the scar, though.

Nedzu’s office is more like a waiting room than a real office, in his opinion.

Waiting for your doom.

He sits down across from Nedzu, who is filling out paperwork, and waits for a stopping point.

“I had to come get Recovery Girl to make sure I wasn’t hurt from a camping trip this weekend,” Hitoshi says.

“That’s very proactive of you,” Nedzu says cheerfully. “Now was camping?”

The dim outlines of fallen and split trees flash in his eyes. “Eventful. Another relative took me.”

“Has Takenaka-san said when she’ll be back?”

He shrugs. “She said she should be back for a couple days next month, but things are really building up in her schedule for the next year.”

“How are your grades?”

“80s and 90s.” Hitoshi leaned onto his knees. “Shizuka’s the same. We study with her friends sometimes.”

“Yes, you only recently joined the household and that school… You haven’t made any friends of your own yet?”

The corners of his mouth stretched. “Even Shizuka’s friends are afraid when I speak. I know how my quirk works.” Or, at least, how it’s supposed to work on the doctor’s paper. “They just don’t trust me. At least here they don’t say I’ll be a villain; not where I can hear, at least.”

Nedzu makes a noise. “Humans are mean creatures.”

“They always think of the worse case scenario,” Hitoshi says.

Nedzu looks him over again. “You would do well in the media, or in the business sector. Why do you really want to be a hero? Just spite?”

Hitoshi has to think about that, and it gives him time to fit together several puzzle piece that have been off to the side for awhile. “Partially spite, to show these people that it’s not a villainous quirk. But also, I think, that humans deserve to be shown the best case scenario. That’s what heroes are, as a symbol.”

Nedzu whistled. “You should write something about that; have Takenaka give you some pointers. It’s something that deserves more thought.”

“Hm.”

***

“Nedzu-san basically gave me an assignment,” Hitoshi tells Takenaka-san over video chat that night.

She laughs. “Not surprised. You know, he wasn’t my homeroom teacher but he was the homeroom teacher of the rest of my friend group, so I got pulled into their assignments a lot.”

“That would suck.”

She laughs again. “So, what’s the assignment?”

“The symbology of heroes,” he replies dryly. “Showing the people who think of the worst case scenario the best case scenario.”

Takenaka-san makes a soft noise. “Not a bad topic, but it’s rather...elementary. It’s not what I’d prefer you learning. And it’s kind of broad, too.”

Hitoshi nods.

“I heard from Ama-chan that you showed great promise,” she says, changing the subject and smiling. “We really need to get a full physical check of you done. The more barriers you pass, the more changes will be made to your brain and your physiology.”

“Seriously? Like what?” he asks.

Takenaka-san frowns. “Well, everyone is different. And I don’t know personally how you and Shizuka will change. Or… Well, Shizuka is a little easier because…” She trails off. “Anyways, I’ll call someone. Now, your birthday is soon?”

Hitoshi shrinks back. “You don’t need to do anything.”

“Nonsense, I’ll be back for it, won’t I?”

He nods.

“I’ll get you something from Athens.”

“You’re in Athens?” Shizuka asks, popping up behind him.

“No, I’ll be flying out of there, though. Oz should be in Musutafu before I get there, though.”

Shizuka rolls her eyes. “Fresh meat.”

“Remind him that I’ll be home soon after.”

“Ama-nee-sama told me to be wary of him,” Hitoshi adds.

Both women fix him with a stare.

“Yeah,” Shizuka says.

“Fair,” Takenaka-san says.

“That doesn’t fill me with confidence.”

Shizuka laughs. Takenaka-san doesn’t. She just looks...soft.

“You’re only going to be fourteen,” she says, after a minute. “He’ll be more stressful a year from now… I’m going to send you a reading, okay? For before he gets there. It’s not--it’s not about him but it’s about his family.” She grins. “With Authority upgraded, you shouldn’t have a problem with German. Oz goes into it enough anyways, so you should familiarize yourself with it.”

“German?” Hitoshi asks.

“Oh, you’re giving him Faust?” Shizuka asks. “That is a very Oz story.”

Takenaka-san breaks into a grin, though her canines are tucked down. “I’ll send you the reading. It shouldn’t take too long.”

***

The end of term actually comes before Hitoshi’s birthday, and he’s thankful for the break. It gives him time to read Faust (which...help? Someone? He has relatives like this?) and write the essay Nedzu suggested. His birthday comes, and that morning a man knocks on the door.

“S’Oz,” Shizuka says sleepily, pulling out an extra mug for coffee.

Oz is tall, with broad shoulders and red hair, and he’s wearing two pieces of a three piece pinstripe suit, a tie that matches his hair, and a white shirt. He takes off dress shoes at the entryway and comes in when Hitoshi steps aside.

“Good morning children,” Oz says, grinning. He collapses on the couch (which, same) and accepts the filled coffee mug from Shizuka. It’s only after the coffee’s been drained that he perks up to look at them. “Nice to see you again S-Shizuka.”

Hitoshi takes a sip of his coffee, meeting Oz’s gase head on.

“You’re Toto, then,” the redhead says, his grin widening to something feral. “Oh, you’re going to be fun.”

“Toto?” Hitoshi asks, because he is too tired for the rest of this.

“Hi-to.” Oz pauses. “And ototo.”

“Ah.” He really is too tired for this.

“Anyways, Okaa-sama said to take you two out before we meet her at the airport. Anywhere in particular you want to go?”

“Crown!” Shizuka cheers. “Crown Arcade! The original Tokyo one.”

Oz nods. “Toto?”

“Cat cafe.”

Oz stares at him. “I’ll look some up, but I think that’s something Okaa-sama would rather be here for.”

“Fair.”

So, the first part of their day ends up at Crown Arcade and Fruits Parlor in Tokyo. Shizuka looks nostalgic and hurt, but she takes the time to actually enjoy herself and shares a sundae with Hitoshi. Oz buys, but he keeps looking between Shizuka (with concern) and Hitoshi (with...something).

“Okay,” Oz says once the sundae is finished. “Time to go pick up Okaa-sama. It’s about time for her plane to come in.”

As they leave through the arcade, Shizuka pats one specific machine as they leave. Hitoshi doesn’t catch wat it says, except a “V” in orange and yellow gradient, before they leave.

Hitoshi loops his arm around her shoulders as they maneuver to where Oz parked his car.

“You okay?” he asks.

She nods. “Just old memories. We lived in this neighborhood for awhile.”

“Ah.” He shifts a bit, uncomfortable. “I don’t have any strong memories that tie me to places.”

Shizuka wraps an arm around his waist and squeezes. “Then we should make some.”

Oz waves at them from the car, and things break back into the relationship they’d built over the last few months. Oz flicks on the radio, playing Red Velvet, and they head to Haneda Airport.

Takenaka-san is already waiting, suitcase in one hand, computer bag over a shoulder, and a shopping bag in her other hand. Her glasses are tucked into the breast pocket of her white suit jacket.

The suitcase goes to Oz, who loads it in the trunk. The computer bag goes to Shizuka, who stores it in the middle of the back seat. The shopping bag goes to Hitoshi, along with a “Happy Birthday.”

“Where are we going?” Takenaka-san asks, sliding into the passenger seat.

“Toto wants to go to a cat cafe, I thought I’d look one up,” Oz says.

Takenaka-san hums. “Well, let’s just go to one in Musutafu. I know a good one. The Cat’s Eye. I’ve got a membership card.”

“What?” Hitoshi asks flatly. “How did I not know about this?”

Takenaka-san chuckles. “I’ll get you a membership card when we get there. Another birthday present.”

Speaking of, Hitoshi digs into the shopping bag and pulls out a couple books and a set of beads. “Uh…”

“Iliad and Odyssey in the original Greek, plus kompoloi. They’re worry beads.”

Hitoshi leans over her seat. “Are you expecting something?”

She smiles. “Always.”

***

The Cat’s Eye is everything Hitoshi could have hoped for out of a cat cafe, and Takenaka-san does get him a membership card. Then, after paying for an hour and some drinks, she gets distracted. And not by a cat.

“Shokun!” she squeals, though quietly, and picks her way through the cats to a man with long, dark hair.

The man looks up, surprised, but stands and accepts a hug. He’s about Oz’s height, towering over Takenaka-san.

“Youko-chan,” he grumbles, not making a move to let go of her. “You’re in town for once.”

She giggles. “I am! Are you looking forward to this year.”

The man grimaces. “This class has...nearly zero potential. Especially compared to my last class.”

She pats his shoulder. “You’re a good teacher.”

“I’m not a miracle worker.”

From her body language, she’s grinning. “Come meet my sister and kids!”

The man’s eyebrows raise, but he allows himself to be dragged to their table.

“Everyone, this is my old classmate, or, uh, yearmate. Shota, this is Shizuka.” Takenaka points to Shizuka, mainly her hair though. “My sister. And this is Oz, who’s really just a lover’s kid.” Oz shrugs. Finally she points at Hitoshi. “This is Shinsou Hitoshi, he’s another relative, but I’ve taken him in.”

Shota stares at them.

Hitoshi runs to put his foot in his mouth. “You were one of Nedzu-san’s students?”

Shota grimaces. “Yes.”

“So you pulled Takenaka-haha into all of your assignments?”

Shota’s grimace deepens. “It was her own fault.”

“It was Hizashi’s fault,” Takenaka-san corrects.

“It was Hizashi’s fault,” Shota agrees readily.

“Nice to meet you, Shota-nii,” Shizuka says, grinning.

“Yeah, nice to meet you, Shota-nii,” Hitoshi echoes as a cat jumps onto his lap.

The scruffy man glares at Takenaka-san. “Why are your children like this?”

She just grins, petting a cat that’s found its way into Shota’s lap.

“I’m Aizawa Shota, by the way, so you have a full name to go on,” he says taking a long drink of coffee.

“Shota-nii,” Shizuka and Hitoshi repeat.

Oz chuckles.

“What years are you in?” Shota asks, obviously giving up.

“We’re entering third year middle school,” Shizuka says. “A magical time…”

“...Of tests and pain,” Hitoshi finishes.

“I like this one,” Shota says, pointing to Hitoshi. “He’s smart.”

Takenaka-san smiles. “He’s got a non-physical quirk, he has to be smart.”

Shota’s eyes widen, just a smidge. “Whatcha got, kid?”

Hitoshi shrinks back. “Uh… Brainwashing is the name on the papers.”

Shota turns to Takenaka. “I’m sure your family has a more appropriate name?”

Takenaka grimaces. “I never should have told you about that.” Then she nods. “He has a version of one that runs in the family that we call Authority. It’s one of two versions, but we’re not sure which yet.”

Shota looks over at them. “You know, if Youko-chan could have gotten her self-harm in order by third year, she could have been a hero.”

“I want to be a hero,” Hitoshi says, determination filling his voice.

Shota smiles. “Work out more, then, kid. You look like you’re about halfway to the point you should be.”

Hitoshi nods, very quickly.

Shizuka has five cats crawling all over her by the time they all leave, and a particular black cat is making her cry.

Takenaka-san forgoes more than a wave goodbye to her friend before comforting her sister. Hitoshi and Oz manage a bit more before they head home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 10/19/2018: ED for this arc is Twice's What is Love - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0p1bmr0EmE
> 
> Sho ta Sho ta Sho ta
> 
> And~~~ y'all need to keep a watch on Oz. Because. Well, try and guess who he is. ^.^
> 
> We're moving towards UA for real, now. Only one chapter between this and the Entrance exam. Things are going to be...different post-entrance exam. I'm still trying to work out a true story arc. 
> 
> Anyways. I'll trying and get four done asap, but I've got to get back to the microfilm and the kids books soon. October is probably the month that you'll get the least from me. Hopefully a chapter a week? Maybe? We'll see. Also. There are hints to something that'll be revealed later on about the nature of this story. Because I'm evil. (and a professional)


	4. Antiqua Medicinia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The teenagers meet up with Shota-nii again, and then Hitoshi has a talk with the family's medical expert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> M-Preg mention warning. Discussion of sexual biology and safe sex with a teenager. Divine biology is weird. Rating just went up because of this.
> 
> EDIT 10/19/2018: OP for this arc is Red Velvet's Power Up - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiHSVQy9xN8

Early into their third year of middle school, Hitoshi and Shizuka are yet again without a guardian living with them for awhile. Hitoshi’s been awake for sixty two hours (minus a couple half hour cat naps sprinkled throughout) and Shizuka drank three extra-espresso shot mocha frappuccinos after school, so the two decide to study at a 24 hour diner over in the next neighborhood.

Hitoshi is helping Shizuka with the English homework when three robbers come in. One is an obvious big cat mutation quirk, one has fingers that look a little like guns, and one has a sharp grin that belies something even more deadly. The two teens freeze as Big Cat and Gun Fingers spread out, accosting the other diner occupants for money. They get Gun Fingers.

“Come on kids, anything valuable.”

The bell above the front door rings and gun fingers gets pulled by the neck by some bandages. He’s flipped over whoever is holding onto them, falling on top of Big Cat.

A familiar figure stands up, hair floating and glaring at Bad Grin, who isn’t grinning anymore.

“Eraserhead!” the robber grunts, getting his own set of bandages.

“Eraserhead?” Hitoshi and Shizuka whisper, because that is very obviously Takenaka-haha’s friend, Shota-nii.

Hitoshi’s heard of Eraserhead, he’s met Eraserhead, and yet he didn’t make the connection between his personal hero and his guardian’s school friend.

Shota looks over the diner while he secures the robbers. He freezes, eyes widening, when his red eyes land on Hitoshi and Shizuka.

“The police will be here soon to sort out valuables taken,” Shota tells the diner occupants. “They’ll want statements too.” He puts in some eye drops and then goes back to watching the criminals. When the police do show up, he flashes his pro-hero license and goes over to the, as they realize on reflection, only two teenagers in the diner.

Hitoshi scoots over for Shota to sit by them.

“I’m pretty sure Youko isn’t home, if you two are out at two in the morning. I’ll have to call Nedzu, because you can’t give statements without a legal guardian here.”

Hitoshi frowns. “Can’t you, like, take temporary custody of unaccompanied minors? That’s a hero thing, right?” He did it before.

“Not if I know who the guardians are,” Shota says, snorting. He pulls out his phone.

“Let’s just send him a selfie together with the cops and robbers in the background,” Shizuka suggests, running more on caffeine than sense still.

Shota obviously has gotten about as much sleep as Hitoshi, at this point, because he turns on the camera function and they do just that, sending the selfie along with a location pin to the UA principal.

“Eraserhead!” one of the detectives calls, coming over to them once the robbers are out of the diner. “Do you know these two?”

“They’re problem children,” Shota answers.

Shizuka whines.

“I’ve contacted their guardian so they can give statements.”

“Can one of you write a note to hand in on why our English assignments aren’t done?” Hitoshi asks.

The detective opens his mouth, then shuts it and looks to Shota.

Shota puts more eyedrops in and then says, “Finish your English assignments.”

The two teenagers grumble, then start back on their assignments. Shizuka looks out at the streetlights occasionally and, eventually, a car pulls up and Nedzu comes in so they can give their statements.

“Eraserhead,” Nedzu says, “Your patrol is almost over?”

Shota grunts, going over the now-completed English assignments.

“Would you mind staying with them tonight?” Nedzu asks, and Hitoshi holds his breath. “With school tomorrow…”

Shota scoffs, then nods. Hitoshi and Shizuka gather their belongings and pay for their orders, then lead him back to the apartment.

At the apartment, Shota collapses on the couch. “You guys are getting ready for entrance exams soon, right?”

“Yup,” Shizuka says, smiling. “UA, Plus Ultra! Like Aneki.”

Shota looks over them, at the muscle tone visible now that they’ve stripped off their jackets down to the tank-tops that make up a considerable portion of their wardrobes. 

“And only Hitoshi is going for the hero program?” he asks.

“I’m going for healing support,” Shizuka says, tossing their backpacks into a couple of cubbies.

“How’s your hand to hand?” Shota asks Hitoshi.

He shrugs. “Better than most of the dojo, but I’m still not ‘fight some robots’ good.”

Shota hums. “Youko-chan told you about the entrance exam.”

Hitoshi grins and Shota’s eyes widen minutely. “She did. I’m going to do my best.” He glances over at the television, hooked up to one of Takenaka-haha’s sleeping laptops. He can see the cords of light dripping from his mouth to connect to the devices. “ _ Takenaka television, on, Takenaka Taiyouko computer, play Beat Playlist _ .”

The television winks to life and one of the English songs on the playlist beats out its speakers. 

Shota sits up.

Hitoshi meets his eyes, then turns back to the computer. “ _ Takenaka Taiyouko computer, show on the Takenaka television: Aizawa Shota, aka ‘Eraserhead’, arrests made record in Musutafu limits since the first month. _ ”

A list of names and numbers and quirks appears on the screen and Shota’s jaw slackens.

“I doubt Youko-chan has that on her computer,” he says, after a few minutes. “So, that’s what Authority can really do.”

Hitoshi shrugs.

Shizuka snorts from the kitchen. “Some of it.”

Shota nods. “Okay, some of it.” He leans back into the couch again and shuts his eyes. “Get that off and go to bed.”

They do as he says.

***

As the New Year slinks closer, Taiyouko-haha comes back a few times. This time she’s brought a man with hair that is more gray than she and Shizuka’s brilliant white. He smiles kindly at Hitoshi, but something about him feels…

Syncretised.

“This is Ask-san,” Taiyouko-haha says. “He’s going to give you your physical.”

Hitoshi raises an eyebrow. “Eh?”

“I’m going to figure out just which Authority quirk you have,” Ask-san says. “And what that means for your future development.”

Hitoshi nods, cautious, but Taiyouko-haha doesn’t leave the room and that’s a little extra safety for this, he thinks.

Ask-san touches Hitoshi’s temples, then his throat, then drops a hand to his abdomen, frowning. Hitoshi can feel the energy left in each spot.

“You were right,” Ask-san tells Taiyouko-haha.

“ _ What _ ?” Hitoshi asks, a little too sharply, a little Authority bleeding through. “Which is it?”

Ask-san sits down across from him again. “There were two options: King’s Authority and Queen’s Authority. Both are equally powerful in terms of Authority, but they have different...side effects.” He takes a deep breath. “Like Obaa-sama, you have Queen’s Authority, despite being male.”

Hitoshi’s hands still. “So, I’m supposed to be a girl?”

Ask-san laughs, shakes his head. “No, I suppose the term would be non-binary. But the thing is… The main side effect you need to be aware of at your age. With Queen’s Authority, the biggest thing is…”

“ **_Spit it out_ ** ,” Hitoshi says, fully using Authority.

Ask-san stills, ducks his head. “If you have unprotected intercourse, no matter the sexual make-up or positioning, there is a chance you could become pregnant. If you are on the, ah, receiving end of--. Actually, no, I’ll put it like this. If you get semen inside of you, even if it’s your own, you will become pregnant.”

Hitoshi stares at him. “What.”

“Obaa-sama, with Queen’s Authority, is one of the most fertile gods, even able to make herself pregnant,” Taiyouko-haha interjects. “Because you have the same Authority, you’re in the same position. Because you’re not immortal, things are a little...stickier. Divine biology is not unlike mortal biology, but it’s also not like it.”

Hitoshi turns his eyes to the ground, presses his hands against his knees. “So…”

“Wear a condom, have your partner wear a condom, that kind of thing,” Ask-san says. “And stay away from Ojii-sama. Just. Far away.”

Taiyouko-haha nods, agreeing. “Yeah, I’ll figure out a restraining order.”

“Are, uh, abortions a thing that I could even…?”

Ask-san nods quickly. “Yes, of course, it’s just that it might be harder on your body because you’re mortal.”

“I’m never going to have sex,” Hitoshi says, seriously.

Taiyouko-haha smiles. “It’s not a bad lifestyle. Look, this just means you need to be as careful as you should be anyways if sexual expression is something you’re interested in.”

Hitoshi grimaces, then nods.

“I’m signing you up for an online sex ed class,” she adds. “And Shizuka too, so you’re not alone.”

“I’ll send you some tweaked information on how Queen’s Authority affects Obaa-sama and can affect you,” Ask-san says.

“Thank you. I hate you all.”

“Understandable,” the two adults say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every OC is based off of an actual deity except for Shizuka...who you'll find out about later. She is based off of something though. Anyone gets who is who right before they're actually properly introduced and I'll name one of Shizuka's UA classmates after you.
> 
> EDIT 10/19/2018: ED for this arc is Twice's What is Love - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0p1bmr0EmE


	5. A Thesis is Worth a Thousand Words, Even When It's Over 50K

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The UA Entrance Exam is a big deal, if flawed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 10/19/2018: OP for this arc is Red Velvet's Power Up - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiHSVQy9xN8

The day of the UA Entrance Exam comes, leaving Hitoshi and Shizuka next to each other for the written exam and then sending Hitoshi off to the practical.

It’s robots, just like Taiyouko-haha and Shota-nii said. He’s marked down as brainwashing; he won’t get any points from using Authority. That’s what Taiyouko-haha implied over video chat the night before anyways.

So, his goal is to get a piece of debree, a pipe from one of the robots another participant destroyed, a boy with glasses, and start stabbing them in the central system. He gets a couple one pointers, but then time is ticking to a close and the 0-pointer is unleashed. He amps up Authority, using the robot in his hands to connect to all of the others, and waits until the last second, until there’s a boy with sparking green energy falling after  _ punching a hole in the 0-pointer _ , before he says, “ **_UA Entrance Exam Robots, fail._ ** ”

In between sparking robots and exhausted students, he looks up to where he knows one of the cameras is and grins.

Nedzu and Shota-nii come over that night, along with Recovery Girl, who is teaching Shizuka some stuff and tutting over the scrapes he wouldn’t let her heal after the exam.

“You got four points,” Shota-nii says, “And you aced the written. That means General Education.”

Nedzu starts laughing. “It means he gets to try out the new practical.”

“What?” Shota-nii asks, voice flat by eyes wide.

“I told him that if the current practical wouldn’t work that I would give him a chance to test out a non-physical quirk practical,” the principal explains. “As a chance to redeem himself.”

Hitoshi grimaces.

“But, hey,” Shota-nii asks quietly, “What about the robot malfunction in the last second?” It’s clear they’ve already addressed the question; it’s being asked again for Hitoshi’s benefit, and for Hitoshi to answer.

Nedzu stares at Hitoshi. “Well, let’s see how your quirk works for what I’ve devised.”

Hitoshi looks Nedzu right back in the eye. “ **_Takenaka Taiyouko computer, make an event in Shinsou Hitoshi’s phone, Shinsou Hitoshi Non-Physical Practical Exam, from UA Computer User Nedzu._ ** ”

He opens his phone and shows Nedzu the event.

Nedzu stares at it, stares at him, then nods. “We’ll see you there.”

***

The test was to get the correct information from one of the teachers, who were given different clues in an almost scavenger hunt manner to lead Hitoshi around. Only one teacher had the answer to the question he was given, on a slip of paper in his pocket. The only ones not participating were Shota-nii (Aizawa-sensei) and Nedzu, who were making sure Hitoshi didn’t horribly embarrass anyone and grading him respectfully. There’s another faculty member who he’s not supposed to ask questions of, one Yagi Toshinori, who looks like a scarecrow in an oversized suit.

The scenario starts with Aizawa-sensei walking him in, saying he’ll look for a paper that Hitoshi needs, and setting the timer going. Hitoshi’s wearing jeans, sneakers, one of Taiyouko-haha’s purple tanktops, and a hoodie that Shota-nii threw at him once and isn’t getting back (which is getting him the stink eye). He’s obviously not a UA student (yet) to the teachers but he’s been given an in.

Hitoshi feels the tug of Authority connecting the paper in his pocket to a few of the teachers. He goes to Midnight, Kayama-sensei. He introduces himself as the child of one of Aizawa-sensei’s friends, then asks her a seemingly innocent question about the classes she teach.

She’s caught. He examines the connections again and has Kayama-sensei introduce him to Maijima-sensei, who gruffly answers Hitoshi’s question about a possible speaker-mask hybrid item and directs him to Thirteen-sensei when asked if anyone knows about the question.

He’s about to corner Thirteen-sensei, releasing the other two teachers, when the kid from his first time on UA’s campus comes in asking for Aizawa-sensei. Hitoshi doesn’t remember a name, if he was ever given one, but the kid walks through the closed door in a hero costume and it throws him off for a second.

“Togata,” Aizawa-sensei says, shuffling papers. “I’m a little busy can you…”

“Oh hey, the purple kid,” Togata says, noticing him.

Hitoshi has a sneaking suspicion Nedzu sent him in. He waves at Togata then asks Thirteen-sensei about building the USJ. It’s obviously not what they thought he’d ask about, but it’s the kind of topic that gets academics going (which he knows from Taiyouko-haha) and it works. They fall for it hook, line, and sinker. Hitoshi waits a few questions to actually push Authority in.

Thirteen’s space suit eyes go completely circular, and Hitoshi asks what the answer to his question is. 

Yagi-sensei is staring at him when he releases Thirteen, glancing back and forth between him and Aizawa-sensei, but Hitoshi just continues the USJ conversation until Aizawa-sensei calls that he found Takenaka’s papers. He thanks everyone, then heads out with Aizawa-sensei to meet a very impressed Nedzu.

“Good job,” the mouse-bear-dog says. “You’ll have the results soon.”

Hitoshi smiles. 

“I have to let the faculty watch the footage too, so they can add points,” Nedzu adds. “I don’t have any results for you if you attempt to use your quirk on me.”

Hitoshi shrugs, looks over at Shota-nii. “Can we go to the Cat Cafe?”

Shota-nii looks back at the teachers lounge. “I have grading…”

“Taiyouko-haha gave me her card,” Hitoshi says.

“I can grade in the Cat Cafe,” Shota-nii agrees.

Togata wanders back over, through the walls again. “Hey, Aizawa-sensei? That paper I asked for…?”

Shota-nii glares up at the ceiling. “Give me five minutes, Shinsou.”

Five minutes later, Togata is satisfied and papers are collected and they’re on their way to the cafe.

“I bet they have no clue what you did,” Shota-nii says. “I may actually get you in my class at this rate.”

Hitoshi smiles and pays for their time and drinks, getting his membership card stamped twice for bringing someone even though Shota-nii has a card himself.

“So,” Shota-nii starts, once the papers are spread out and he has his coffee and a cat in his lap, “You’ve gotten closer with Youko-chan. You’re calling her by her given name now. When we first met you still called her Takenaka.”

Hitoshi scowls into his own coffee and cat. “I thought you had tests to grade.”

Shota-nii’s grin is not unlike Hitoshi’s own. “I can talk and grade.”

“And pet cats?” Hitoshi asks.

Shota-nii’s eyes flash red. “Yes. Now, spill. I know she has been abroad a lot.”

Hitoshi shrugs, reaching out to pet a Russian Blue that’s tiptoeing on the windowsill by them. “She’s still there in spirit, you know? She still does video calls and gives advice and helps me with my quirk and checks on me. She checks on me more than Shizuka, really, and Shizuka’s the one actually related to her.”

“You’re related to her too, somehow,” Shota-nii points out. “And she adopted you. Whenever we talked before I met you, she always talked about you as her son. Now it’s by name, but the same love.”

Hitoshi focuses in on giving the black cat in his lap lots of love.

“Hitoshi, she loves you.”

He buries his nose in black fur. “I know. I love her too.”

Shota-nii smiles. “I had a huge crush on her in high school, you know. I love her.”

Hitoshi looks up from the cat. “I think you should stick to grading papers and not admit embarrassing secrets to me.”

He nods, picks up a red pen, and starts grading, but says, “It’s not embarrassing. Not anymore.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nedzu is an asshole, mainly to his teachers. Hitoshi is embarrassed. You can tell this is a different universe from DoFL because I spell Shota's given name differently :)
> 
> EDIT 10/19/2018: ED for this arc is Twice's What is Love - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0p1bmr0EmE


	6. Acceptance and Examination of Boundaries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hitoshi is accepted into the hero program and all that entails when it comes to his family (Shota-nii included).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was going to include a lot more stuff. And then I doubled my planned wordcount. So now there's an extra chapter. But, enjoy this mess!
> 
> EDIT 10/19/2018: OP for this arc is Red Velvet's #Cookie Jar - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRgTMs_bGuI

Taiyouko-haha, for all of her interest in computers, didn’t enjoy the weird holographic videos that schools, especially hero schools, sent out as their acceptance and rejection letters.

She hadn’t liked it when she got accepted to UA, and she didn’t like it now that she was home with Shizuka and Hitoshi, and Hitoshi kind of gets her rant when she opens Shizuka’s letter and the holograph pops up.

It’s Recovery Girl who accepts Shizuka into the Support program, into class 1-I. She had done well on the written, and those applying to Support courses had to also write an essay about what kind of support they would give to help with their placement. 

Hitoshi has to admit, it was pretty calm, but the flickering of the hologram gave it a weird effect.

Then Taiyouko-haha opens his envelope, and All Might stands grinning on their wall.

“Hello, Shinsou Hitoshi-shonen. Originally, this was going to be one of the videos I dreaded making. To tell a student with a promising quirk, especially the child of an old friend, that they could only make it into the General Education department… It reminded me too much of my own path to becoming a hero, even though it’s closer to someone else in here’s path.” He appeared to look over the camera at someone. “But then Nedzu used you as the guinea pig for the first non-physical practical. I, along with Aizawa-sensei, was one of the two teachers in there who knew what was going on.”

Hitoshi wants to pause the hologram, figure out how they’d hidden All Might in the teacher’s office, but it hits him: Yagi-sensei. The scarecrow of a man was one and the same as the Number One Hero.

“You performed remarkably, and you were much quicker than Nedzu expected, though you didn’t leave as soon as you had the information. You’ll make a great intelligence gatherer, and a great hero. You see, Shinsou-shonen, in the original practical you only scored three points, but the teachers agreed that the use of your quirk during the non-physical practical bumped your score enough that you knocked out one of the top practical students, who will now be in Gen Ed. Congratulations, Shinsou-shonen, Takenaka-sama’s son, this is your hero academy. Welcome to Class 1-A.”

The hologram switches off.

Taiyouko-haha shakes her head. “He’s always been long-winded, even now…”

“What happened?” Hitoshi asks. “I saw him in the teacher’s office, like he hinted at, but…”

She smiles and throws an arm over his shoulders. “I’m sure he’ll tell you himself.”

She leaves the next day for another trip, this one definitely for the family, but says, “I’ll be back during your first week, sometime, to hear about how things are going. Shokun is going to swing by and pick you guys up on your first day, make sure you get there on time and know the drill. Try not to get expelled. Oh, and Sho is going to do quirk-based physical tests like the ones you did in middle school. Just pull out some Authority, Hito-chan.”

Hitoshi nods, but when the day comes he’s still anxious. And exhausted. When Shota-nii shows up at their door (way earlier than planned, to attempt to crash on their couch for an hour or two) the bags under their eyes match.

“Same hat,” Hitoshi mutters.

“Same hat,” Shota-nii grumbles back.

They end up in a tangle of limbs on the couch and Shizuka is the one who wakes them up. They’re going to be late at this rate, because Shizuka is notoriously bad at getting up. Hitoshi tells her as much as he pulls on his uniform.

“I set things for early,” she insists. “I want to make a good first impression too!”

Shota-nii tugs them out of the house while Hitoshi is still tying his tie and tucking it under his vest, while Shizuka holds his jacket. As soon as they’re on the train, Shota-nii starts transforming into Aizawa-sensei.

“We need to get you two something that can get you around faster,” he grumbles as the train comes into the right station.

Shizuka grins.

Hitoshi, completely deadpan, says, “Parkour.”

Aizawa-sensei laughs.

Shizuka heads for class 1-I, with a brief map that Aizawa-sensei drew her, and Hitoshi heads for 1-A to prepare them for the drama king that is Eraserhead. Aizawa-sensei heads to the teacher’s offices.

Hitoshi isn’t the first person in the classroom. There’s some guy with hair like a pomeranian being edgy at the back to some kid with blue hair and glasses. A girl with frog like features is looking shiftily at them. There are several other kids too, including one that looks uncomfortably like Oz if he decided to Cruela De Vil his hair and burn his face. 

“Ugh,” Hitoshi mutters. Behind him, he hears two more students arrive. One has green hair and freckles, while the other is a round faced, plain girl. “Oi, everyone, the teacher’s about to arrive.  _ Get in and sit down _ ,” he shouts, putting a touch of Authority in his last words, just enough to be a suggestion. He tosses his bag under a chair in the front.

Everyone scuttles in and takes their seats. Green hair (who Hitoshi recognizes now as having the build of the kid that wrecked the 0-pointer) is next to him. 

Aizawa-sensei steps in, sucking on a juice pack and dragging his yellow sleeping bag with him. Hitoshi had first become acquainted with the bag another night that Shota-nii had crashed at their place after a patrol.

“Caterpillar,” he whispers.

Aizawa-sensei glances at him and scoffs, then turns to the class from the podium. “I’m your homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shota. Don’t expect to be making friends in this class, we’re trying to make you heroes. Not everyone is going to make the cut. You have three years to show you can, and that starts today. You have ten minutes to get your school gym clothes on and meet me at the training ground.”

There are groans, whispers, shifting behind Hitoshi. He just gets up, grabs his bag, and heads to the locker room. 

On the training ground, Aizawa-sensei picks up from where he’s left off. “At UA, the teachers have a bit of freedom. Especially in the Hero courses. So, today we’ll be doing the same kind of physical tests you did in middle school.” Here, Hitoshi notices, the corners of his lips twitch. “Only you can use your quirks.”

Hitoshi takes a few breaths, trying to calm himself around the cacophony of the other students. There’s so many lines, so many lights, fighting to be first, fighting to be the best and honestly Hitoshi just wants to finish this.

Nedzu said he could crash in the principal’s office after the patented Aizawa Plus Ultra Culling.

Speaking of which, Aizawa-sensei drops that bombshell. “By the way, the lowest ranked student will be expelled.”

The cacophony gets louder.

“Shinsou, you’ve got a non-physical quirk,” Aizawa calls. “But you know how to use it. What was your middle school ball toss?”

“Fifty two meters,” Shinsou admits, stepping forward and taking the ball that Aizawa-sensei hands over. 

“Aim for something farther,” the teacher says, holding back a grin, the ass. “No stepping out of the circle.”

Hitoshi tosses the ball up and catches it to get a feel for it, then brings it to his lips. With Authority activated and a whisper, he tosses it nearly vertical. “ **Go 750 meters** .”

Something tugs in the spot below his vocal chords, something shatters like glass, but Aizawa-sensei is showing off Hitoshi’s score of exactly 750 meters.

Hitoshi manages to get himself off to the side, trying to process the litany of information pouring into his mind. The spot on his forehead that follows the line of his nose burns, and it feels like blood is starting to coat the inside of his throat. 

“Shinsou-kun?” It’s the plain girl, all round and  _ anti-gravity, her quirk is anti-gravity _ .

There’s a yell, everyone looks up and a figure jumps from a second story window, landing lightly and running towards them. Twin tails stream behind her, coming from two buns on top of her head.

“Shin-chan,” Shizuku yells and there is something off about calling her Shizuka. She whispers something in English, touching Hitoshi’s forehead. Reality comes crashing back onto him.

“Fuck,” he curses. 

Shizuku turns to glare at Aizawa-sensei. “Ask-san texted me about a barrier.”

Aizawa curses too. “I forgot about those. Sorry.”

The entire class is strangely quiet.

Aizawa shrugs it off. “Next. Takenaka, if you could stay in case we need any more quick healing? I’m sure Present Mic will be fine without you.”

“What the hell!” said hero yells in English from the window Shizuka had come from. 

“I’m borrowing her,” Aizawa yells back.

There’s a very loud scoff, then the window is shut again.

“Any more barriers I should be aware of?” he asks Shizuka and Hitoshi while directing some of the other students to do the sprint.

“Not right now. I’ve broken all of mine, and this should be the last for awhile for Shin-chan.”

Hitoshi grumbles. 

“I remember your sister dealing with hers,” Aizawa-sensei says, keeping track of the other students. “Shinsou, are you up for completing this? You’re fit enough but after that…”

“Favoritism,” Hitoshi replies. “I’ll do it.”

They end up looping back to the ball toss, starting with the green haired student who hasn’t been doing very well.

Aizawa-sensei is worried, Hitoshi can tell.

Midoriya, the green haired student, winds up, ready to throw with full force but then it falls from his hands and he stares at them.

Aizawa-sensei’s quirk is activated, the secondary levitation showing off that his scarf is actually his capture weapon.

“Eraserhead!” Midoriya squeeks.

The other students have no clue who that is, but Hitoshi grins.

Aizawa deactivates his quirk. “You have too much power and not a lot of training. You can’t keep going on like that. You’ll end up in a situation where you’re the one who has to be saved! You could do permanent damage to yourself by using your quirk in a way that causes so much damage! You have three shots. If you can’t move your arm after that, you’ll prove that you can never be a hero.”

Midoriya takes it to heart and nods. He winds up to throw again, but a distraction descends on them.

“Incoming!” a familiar voice yells, and when the impact dust clears, Takenaka Taiyouko looks up from her superhero landing with a grin on her face.

She stands up, brushing dust from the light gray sweatpants that she has bunched up at mid-shin. She’s wearing an even lighter t-shirt, embroidered with Plus Ultra right under her left collarbone. 

“Hey kiddos,” Taiyouko-haha says. “I’m Takenaka-sensei, your new history teacher. And, for some of you, your quirk tutor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd also like to mention... I did not mean for Taiyouko to know All Might before the story present. That just...happened. And ended up being important later on. So, like, yup.
> 
> EDIT 10/19/2018: ED for this arc is Day 6's Shoot Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2X2LdJAIpU


	7. Thunder Rolling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taiyouko demonstrates part of her quirk, explains why she's at UA, and sets about causing chaos with her old school friend. Hitoshi and Midoriya get new clothes and class 1-A goes to the zoo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second part of what was supposed to be chapter 6.
> 
> EDIT 10/19/2018: OP for this arc is Red Velvet's #Cookie Jar - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRgTMs_bGuI

_ “Hey kiddos,” Taiyouko-haha says. “I’m Takenaka-sensei, your new history teacher. And, for some of you, your quirk tutor.” _

Aizawa, Shizuka, and Hitoshi stare at her, all eyes wide. 

“Where were you?” Shizuka whispers, awe in her voice.

“The roof!” Taiyouko-haha replies cheerfully. Then, she turns to Midoriya. “You know, if Aizawa had been my teacher when we were your age, he’d be telling me the same things. I have a quirk that can be incredibly harmful to myself. I’m going to show you an example of how to redirect it, eh?”

Aizawa shrugs. “Go ahead, Takenaka.”

One of the other students, a kid with a bird head, makes an ignored comment about how Aizawa called Shizuka Takenaka too. 

Aizawa tosses an extra ball to her.

She takes it in one hand, then puts another on Midoriya’s shoulder, a gentle smile on her face. He lets her have the circle.

Hitoshi has never seen what Taiyouko-haha calls her “main point” and he doesn’t think this is it, but he’s still shocked. And impressed.

“Let me hear your  **_Thunder Clap_ ** !” she yells, giving the ball a perfect pitch towards the clouds. Energy explodes from her fingertip, electricity and the sound of the world coming apart, sending the ball into the atmosphere. The rest of the energy flows down her body, cracking through her bare feet into the compact dirt of the training ground and  _ breaking it _ .

“It’s a conscious decision,” she tells Midoriya. “Take all the energy that doesn’t go to the target and send it through your body and into the ground. Take your shoes off. Focus on your skin, it’s your largest organ and the one that can take the most damage.”

Midoriya frowns at her, then she leans down and whispers something in his ear and he perks up.

He takes her place in the ruined circle, shoes off, and sends his ball off with a spark of green lightning that goes out and down at the same time.

Aizawa holds up the phone he’s using to record results and grins. 820 meters.

Midoriya looks a little bruised and sore.

“You didn’t break!” the plain girl exclaims. “You broke at the Entrance Exam, but you didn’t break this time!”

“What the fuck Deku!” someone else yells and suddenly Aizawa is in Eraserhead mode again, erasing pomeranian hair’s quirk and restraining him with his capture weapon.

“Would you idiots stop?” Aizawa yells. “I’ve got dry eye!”

The other students comment on how it’s such a drawback.

The pomeranian, Bakugo, glares at Midoriya, but goes next. He’s closer to Hitoshi’s score than Midoriya’s, and Hitoshi and Shizuka move between the two. 

Taiyouko-haha and Aizawa-sensei present the results after the tests are done. The invisible girl is in last place.

Aizawa inspects the list and hums, then says, “None of you are being expelled.”

“What?!” several students cry, invisible girl included. 

“Of course not,” the female recommendation student, Yaoyorozu, says. “He can’t just expel the lowest score.”

Taiyouko-haha laughs. “Actually he can. And he has before.”

That really shocks everyone. Besides Hitoshi and Shizuka.

Aizawa nods. “Yes, she’s right. But the point of this test is to see your improvement and help me judge if, even on the first day, your potential is zero. Usually, the lowest score would be the first person to go. You all have potential, and if you focus and work hard you can become heroes.” He grins. “Plus Ultra!”

“Now, onto the second part of your day!” Taiyouko-haha exclaims. “I swiped Nedzu’s school accounts cards. Let’s go to the zoo!”

Aizawa cackles and gives her a high five.

“Shizuka, you aren’t part of 1-A so you can’t come,” she does mention.

Shizuka huffs. “Can’t you like check me out and have me come, Aneki-sensei?”

The rest of the class is having a case of the vapors at that.

“Do I have to call you sensei too?” Hitoshi asks.

Taiyouko-haha zeroes in on him. “Yeah right, I just got you to acknowledge me as your mother.”

“Why are you even here?” he asks. “You said you’d be back later this week.”

She nods, serious, and addresses the entire group. “Yes. Well, I’m on a list of people who Nedzu harasses every year to try and get them to come teach, one of two who accepted this year. Because of this, he also shared entry exam footage. I’d love to say that seeing my son do what he did is what led me to accept…” Her eyes sparkle; she knows what he did at the end. “The similarities between my quirk and the quirk used by Midoriya Izuku was really what had me accepting. I couldn’t control my quirk through high school, it caused internal damage. I know I can help him control it. So, one of my conditions on accepting was to tutor him and a few other students. Those students are, of course, my son Shinsou Hitoshi, but also Kouda Koji and 1-B student Shiozaki Ibara. I have an expertise in quirks like this. 

“I’m a university professor who specializes in a field commonly called Classical Quirk Analysis. It includes putting quirk names on comic book characters, but the majority of what we do is analyze the abilities of the gods of different cultures and theorize on their existence being a precursor to quirks. My family happens to have many quirks that are similar to the quirks analyzed. My younger sister, Takenaka Shizuka, Class 1-I, has an energy manipulation quirk that allows her to heal people, but that’s far from all she can do. Your classmate, my son, Shinsou Hitoshi, has a quirk labeled Brainwashing, which originally worked more like mind control.” She stops to scoff. “He’s broken barriers on his quirk that allow him to control the world around him with his words. 

“I don’t think that the other two students who I will be tutoring have quirks like these, ones that can be jailbroken and expanded so easily. But I think my experience with similar quirks will be helpful.”

She and Shota-nii (don't think Hitoshi doesn't recognize the change) exchange a look.

“So,” their teacher murmurs. “Zoo?”

***

As the class heads out to change into uniforms and steal a school vehicle to enable their trip, a deflated All Might pulls Hitoshi and Midoriya aside.

“They’ve asked me to come along,” Yagi-sensei says, with a long suffering sigh and dressed in clothes that actually fit him instead of the oversized yellow suit Hitoshi saw him in previously. He’s also carrying a white shopping bag. “But I wanted to talk to you two, briefly, before joining. Shinsou-shonen, you understand that your mother is someone I respect greatly. Since she’s putting more attention on you and Midoriya-shonen in her tutoring, I feel like I should let you know what’s going on. I was born quirkless and given a strength stockpiling quirk known as One For All around Midoriya’s age. Six years ago, the enemy of all users of One For All and I fought and he landed a devastating blow. I managed to give as good as I got, thankfully, but it’s resulted in the form you see now. I can only be ‘All Might’ for about five hours a day currently.”

Yagi-sensei takes a long, shuddering breath, then gulps. “It is only thanks to Takenaka-sama that it is so long. Otherwise it might be closer to three hours. But, I’ve also passed my quirk on to Midoriya-shonen so it will fade in me eventually. I will return to being quirkless. I think, if you two work together, you can be a lot like Takenaka-sama and I. Only both of you will be heroes!”

“Takenaka-sensei isn’t a Pro?” Midoriya asks.

Hitoshi shakes his head. “No, no time and no training and…” He looks over at Yagi-sensei. “There was some kind of incident.”

Yagi-sensei nods. “That’s her story to tell, when she gets all of the pieces together. But she’s strong. Think of it like she has a combination of both of your quirks. That is a woman who can shape the world.”

“So, you’re going with us to the zoo?” Hitoshi asks, attempting to lighten the mood.

Yagi-sensei groans again. “Yes. From what I understand, it should be a learning experience. At the very least for Nedzu.”

“Is the principal coming?” Midoriya asks.

Hitoshi catches on, though. “Oh no. He’s just going to regret letting them teach together. If what they've told me about high school is true, and Nedzu's confirmed some of it, then their behavior around each other earlier is just a precursor.”

Yagi-sensei hands Hitoshi a bag that he has been holding. “Here are some clothes that Takenaka-sama wanted me to give you. Apparently there’s some for both of you. In her words, 'Hurry up. We have a zoo to crash.'”

The clothes are stylish and colored for their personal coding. Hitoshi gets black skinny jeans and purple combat boots, along with a form-fitting lavender tank top. Midoriya gets black straight legged jeans and green high tops and a similar tank top in forest green. He puts his school jacket over the top of it, but Hitoshi finds a white tissue wrapped package in the bottom of the bag. 

His name is written on it in Greek letters, but not in Taiyouko-haha’s writing. Inside is a purple, green, and blue hoodie, but only a hoodie in the most basic sense. It’s patterned like peacock feathers, though mostly lavender, and has buttons up the front instead of a zipper. The hood comes down over his face like a bird’s beak and has baubles attached to its edge that look like they’re made of real gold.

They head out to meet the rest of the class, who gape at them.

Shota-nii meets Taiyouko-haha’s eyes for a second, before she comes over to coo over Hitoshi.

“I thought that Oba-sama might have slipped a gift in,” she tells him, beaming. “You know, the one with your quirk. Oh, we’ll have to take pictures. This is going to be great.”

She’s right; the trip to the zoo is fun and includes a lot of pictures. One is of Hitoshi, lounging in his new outfit on a picnic table bench surrounded by all of the zoo’s peacocks, looking like a royal on a throne with a smile tugging at his lips.

Hitoshi looks at it, noticing that there are some features that are changing on him. He’s becoming a little more androgynous, even with his muscle and height. No one would mistake him for a woman, but there’s something more feminine and it brings something more regal to his features.

The other part of the trip includes him walking around with Kouda, both of them seeing how their quirks work on the zoo animals, under Taiyouko-haha and Shota-nii's watchful eyes.

On the bus back to the school, he ends up across from the Oz look-alike, the other recommendation student, Todoroki, who is doing his very best not to check Hitoshi out.

Hitoshi, against the better judgement in his head that sounds like Ask-san, stretches up with a yawn and notices Todoroki’s eyes land on the strip of skin that appears as his tank top rides up.

He’s not sure how he feels about it.

Yaoyorozu maneuvers herself beside him with a smile. “You can call me Yaomomo if you like,” she says immediately, to his immense confusion. “It’s easier. But I have a question for you.”

“Shoot,” Hitoshi says.

“What is your mother’s class going to be like?” she asks, and every student on the bus is suddenly all ears.

Hitoshi looks over to Taiyouko-haha, who smirks from beside Shota-nii (who is driving the bus) while counting receipts, and thinks over the assignments he’s gotten from her and Nedzu since he moved into the Takenaka household. “Academia for minors,” he decides to call it. “In other words...hell.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Shizuka makes a friend, Nedzu has regrets, and the Big Four starts showing off why they're good teachers.  
> Comments are my lifeblood, especially theories.
> 
> In other news, I should be working on my origfic. As always.  
> EDIT 10/18: Forgot to add that Shiozaki Ibara was one of the tutees so that's been added.  
> EDIT 10/19/2018: ED for this arc is Day 6's Shoot Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2X2LdJAIpU


	8. I Wonder If It's a Blessing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shizuka gets a friend, Nedzu has regrets, and the Takenaka's get a cat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter. Sorry!
> 
> EDIT 10/19/2018: OP for this arc is Red Velvet's #Cookie Jar - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRgTMs_bGuI

Once 1-A and the accompanying teachers get back to school, Aizawa-sensei and Taiyouko-haha sequester the tutees and get ahold of Shiozaki Ibara before heading back to a different training field, one with benches along the sides. 

The first day of school has just ended, for most of the school, but Hitoshi knows that Taiyouko-haha is going to be pushing them. For various reasons, he’s sure.

As they’re getting warmed up (with Hitoshi and Midoriya switching their jeans out for basketball shorts and Midoriya switching his shoes for his red sneakers), Shiozaki attempts to get to know them.

“So you’re all 1-A?” she asks, stretching both her limbs and her hair. 

“By happenstance,” Hitoshi replies. “Any of us could have ended up in either heroics class. Doesn’t mean we should stay apart.”

“You didn’t come to lunch today,” she says. “You all ate lunch as a class. And you skipped orientation.”

Hitoshi snorts. “Our teachers decided that the stress of what our homeroom teacher had us do, which was using our quirks for physical aptitude tests with the possibility of the bottom person being expelled, we deserved a break. They took us to the zoo.”

Shiozaki’s eyes twitch, as if she’s not sure if she wants to narrow them or for them to go wide. “Special treatment…?”

“Nah, I think they’re just filled with chaos,” Hitoshi says.

Midoriya coughs out a laugh, nodding. “I never expected them to have such weird personalities.”

Kouda signs agreement.

“And, it’s like, when Takenaka-sensei showed up, Aizawa-sensei’s personality changed,” the green haired boy adds.

“We can hear you,” Taiyouko-haha calls from the sidelines, where she’s standing with Shota-nii and snickering over something.

“They were really close when they went to UA,” Hitoshi reveals. “Taiyouko-haha said she always got pulled into their classwork, even though she was in General Studies.”

There, Shiozaki’s eyes go wide. “She’s not a pro?”

“She’s a Classical Quirk Analyst,” Midoriya says, beating Hitoshi to the punch. “One of the best, and the biggest expert in the supposed ‘multiquirks’ that modern quirk analysts and counselors are constantly on the lookout for. Quirks like hers, and Takenaka-san’s, and Shinsou-san’s.”

Shiozaki frowns. “Shinsou-san, you’re Takenaka-sensei’s son?”

“Adopted, related by blood somewhere in the family tree, though. Her sister is my age, she’s in 1-I.”

Speaking of Shizuka, the white haired girl appears around the building, followed by a girl with pink hair and strange eyes, and spreads out across one of the benches.

“Let’s get started,” Taiyouko-haha calls, stepping forward to them. “Kouda, there are plenty of birds around here so you should work with them. Dive bombing is the most useful. Shiozaki, let’s see how far we can push your power. You two are going to team up, work out a plan of attack. Meanwhile, I’m going to take Midoriya through some points and then send you all up against Hito-chan.”

All four of them nod.

Hitoshi steps back to where Shota-nii is, examining the phone in his hand which happens to be Taiyouko-haha’s. There’s a group text, consisting of a lot of emojis, exclamation marks, and English curse words.

Midoriya and Taiyouko-haha do tai-chi like stretches, summoning up crackling power around them and moving it across their skin, up and down and making sure every extremity gets a sweep before bringing it back in. Hitoshi hears her, distantly, suggest gymnastics with Aizawa-sensei and joining in Hitoshi and Shizuka’s dojo-learned maneuvers. Flexibility, she’s explaining, is key.

Then she sends Midoriya over to the other two to hear their plan and she summons Hitoshi over.

“Just, ugh,  _ Brainwashing _ ,” she says. “You get one, you can have them help you, but mostly just...put them on sleep mode. Okay?”

Hitoshi nods.

“Kouda, since he has similar brain waves to yours, though not as similar as if you just had the mind control quirk, will be harder to catch. And besides that, he doesn’t like talking.”

“I’ve got some ideas,” Hitoshi says, mentally chastising himself because  _ no he doesn’t _ .

“Good,” she says, with a tone that says she see that he doesn’t but is humoring him. “Alright you four, let’s go.”

Hitoshi goes into stance across from the other three while Taiyouko-haha steps back. 

Shiozaki, being the only one who hasn’t seen him in some kind of action, comes at him first. Her vines rip through the air towards him.

He jumps, whispering, “ _ Air, hold me _ ” so he can use her vines as stepping stones to get closer. He jumps through, grabs her by the shoulders, and does a flip, releasing his Authority before slamming her into the ground.

She gets up quickly. “Is that all you’ve got?” she asks.

Hitoshi grins. “I don’t know, is that all  _ you’ve  _ got?”

“Far from--.” Her eyes glaze over, but Midoriya is coming at him from the side.

He ducks under Midoriya’s fist, hooks his arm around the other boy’s knee, and doesn’t stop Midoriya from running. 

“Seriously, dude?” he asks, grin obvious in his voice as the other hits the ground. “You do need the training.”

Midoriya shrugs as he gets up, untangles himself from Hitoshi, and then there are the birds.

Hitoshi dodges as well as he can, but those birds have sharp beaks and he’s getting pecked and grabbed for awhile until he can tackle Midoriya and flip them so Midoriya is getting the brunt of it.

“You going to stop, Kouda? Your teammate’s in danger.” He grins at Midoriya, who keeps wincing in pain.

“I can’t! Flip him Mido--.” The birds stop, because Kouda has been caught.

Hitoshi flips them again, grin intact, and tells Midoriya, “Say Uncle.”

Midoriya looks around, at his mind controlled teammates and the taller boy pinning him and gives in. “Uncle.”

Hitoshi watches Midoriya’s eyes glaze over, then gets up and lets go of all Authority.

Taiyouko-haha’s voice echoes, “Win to Shinsou.”

The other three are nodding, shaking the leftovers of being trapped in their own bodies away, and then, from the benches.

“He’s going to be able to do that without a verbal response one day!” says an unfamiliar voice.

Hitoshi turns, identifies the voice as coming from Shizuka’s new friend.

“Wait, what?!” Shiozaki asks, practically screeching.

“Really?” Kouda whispers, looking to him.

Midoriya starts mumbling, going through the possibilities if it ends up true.

Taiyouko-haha laughs. “Hito-chan, you’re done for the day. Go sit with Shizuka and her friend.”

He does, and he introduces himself to Hatsume Mei, who starts taking measurements of all things before he’s even through introducing himself. It’s interrupted when Shizuka, who hugs him and explains their relation.

“Any clue what your hero name is going to be?” Hatsume-san asks, grinning maniacally.

“We’re not doing that for a bit, I think.” He taps his chin. “Jailbreak, maybe? Because I was listening to Taiyouko-haha talk about my quirk, and then she went off on this tangent about how people used to do this thing called jailbreaking to phones?”

“Still happens,” Hatsume says. “Mine is. It’s still in the public mind. So, like, your quirk is you can jailbreak people or something?”

He pauses, wondering how much he should tell her, but Shizuka makes the decision for him.

“More like he can jailbreak reality. It’s a little harder to use his quirk on people, but non-sentient-and-sapient things? Super easy. Even if he can get a bit overwhelmed. That’s why I had to jump down earlier.” She grins and he punches her arm lightly. He’ll have to get her a stuffed animal from the arcade as a thank you.

Hatsume just nods. “I’ll come up with something awesome. You should call me Mei, Shinsou-kun.”

“Well you’ll have to call me Hitoshi,” he replies.

Midoriya is the next to get sent out of training, looking exhausted, and he lays on the ground in front of them, panting.

“Midoriya Izuku,” he introduces himself.

Mei grins. She and Shizuka make the introductions and then she says, “But call us by our given names.”

“You can call me Hitoshi too,” Hitoshi says begrudgingly.

Midoriya breaks out of his daze and gives Hitoshi an All Might worthy grin. It’s kind of disturbing how alike they are, considering the conversation the three of them had before going to the zoo. “Then call me Izuku.”

Present Mic and Midnight come out to watch the final bit of tutoring for the day, joining Aizawa-sensei standing off to the side and watching Taiyouko instruct, and then as she gives the tutees their day break, all four teachers huddle together, laughing.

That’s when Nedzu comes running out, panicking, with Yagi-sensei following behind with a near All Might level grin on his face. Hitoshi wonders if he’ll break his cover if he keeps smiling like that.

“You four!” Nedzu yells, climbing up onto Aizawa’s shoulder. “I’ve made a mistake!”

“Old news,” Midnight says.

Mei and Izuku join Shizuka and Hitoshi in packing up, then all four come closer.

“Too late,” Taiyouko-haha says. “Contracts are signed.”

Nedzu is fuming, then turns to the four students. “Oh no.” He turns back to the teachers. “Don’t you dare corrupt those four! I don’t need another Big Four Prank War!”

The students look at each other, confused and intrigued. The teachers look at each other, plotting.

“I doubt they need to get the children to start a prank war,” Yagi-sensei says, tone meant to soothe by expression plainly reminding Nedzu that the four teachers are still the same people.

“Oh, is this why you always got pulled into their classwork, Aneki?” Shizuka asks. “You guys were pranksters?”

Nedzu scowls. “These four were the smartest in their year, and yet they were always up to some mischief.”

“Hizashi’s fault,” three out of four teachers say.

Present Mic frowns, but shrugs. “Yeah, I usually started it.”

“Really, Nedzu, you should have thought about this before hiring all of us,” Midnight says. 

“I expected you to be adults about this,” the principal replies. “But two of you have already used the school budget card to take a class to the zoo! And the two more level-headed ones at that!”

“You guys got to go to the zoo?” Mei asks, whine in her voice. “No fair!”

“We can do an arcade day this weekend? The new ‘Big Four.’” Hitoshi offers.

Nedzu goes into conniptions. 

***

Hitoshi and Shizuka part with Izuku and Mei on the way to the station, while their teachers decide to go get stuff for stir fry, because apparently all five teachers (Yagi-sensei being dragged along) are going to cook at the Takenaka residence tonight.

“Arcade?” Hitoshi asks, as they’re passing the Musutafu Crown Game Center. “I’ll get you…” They’re cut off by a meow and some kids laughing. The two rush around the corner to find some elementary schoolers picking on a cat with a bandage on its forehead.

Hitoshi yells to the kids, “What are you doing?”

Some of them scatter, but a couple shout back for him to go away. They’re easily caught and sent away. He releases his Authority as soon as they’re out of sight and picks up the injured feline. It scratches at him as he peels off the bandages, Shizuka edging closer.

“Hey kitty, be careful there,” he says, finally getting the bandages off to show a shiny crescent moon on the cat’s head.

It stares at him.

“Luna?” Shizuka whispers, breathless.

The cat turns to stare at her, mouth agape. “Princess!”

“Princess?” Hitoshi asks.

Shizuka shakes her head and holds out her hands for the cat, who jumps right into her hold. “I’ll explain once we get home.”

Their apartment complex allows cats, thank the gods.

The two teenagers sit on the couch while Shizuka and Luna give a brief explanation on just who Shizuka used to be.

“The universe was reset again, after the Cauldron,” Shizuka explains. “And Aneki was suddenly with me, and I lived a whole new life. It was the year before you came home that I got all my memories back.”

Hitoshi nods, breathless. “So. You’re the daughter of Selene. And so is Taiyouko-haha?”

Luna frowns, sniffing the air. “I’m unsure…”

The door to the apartment bursts open and suddenly the living room is filled with teachers. Luna jumps onto Shizuka’s shoulders.

The teachers say their hellos, Shota-nii comments on the cat, and then only Taiyouko-haha is left in their space as the teachers fill the kitchen.

Luna and Taiyouko-haha have a staring contest.

“Leukothea,” Luna says. “Leukothea Quetzalocelotl. I did not expect  _ you  _ to take an interest. After all, you’re just the reincarnation of...”

Taiyouko-haha smiles. “It’s Takenaka Taiyouko, here, Luna. And I wasn’t going to let her suffer any longer. There are other ways to make the worlds interesting, as I’m sure you’ve found out.”

Luna huffs.

Taiyouko-haha smiles and goes off the kitchen, announcing, “Nedzu isn’t the only animal with a quirk, the kids found a talking cat. Her name is Luna.”

They kick Midnight and Present Mic out of the kitchen and the two introduce themselves with their civilian names, Midnight having changed into civilian clothes and Mic holding his own change of clothes before stealing their shower to wash out the hair gel.

Nemuri-nee, as she dubs herself, coos all over Shizuka and Hitoshi, ignoring Luna for the most part. 

Hizashi comes back with hair hair up in a towel like Shizuka and Taiyouko-haha often do and lets Luna sit in his lap while he hums and she looks questionably at everyone. Eventually, everyone settles in for stir fry and they give Luna a little bowl of meat with a bowl of water.

“You’ll have to get her some stuff later,” Taiyouko-haha says, looking pointedly at the two teenagers. “She’ll never accept it from me.”

“I guess this is better than a stuffed animal?” Hitoshi asks Shizuka.

She grins back at him. “Much better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahaha, didn't expect to reveal the crossover for another few chapters but I wanted Luna in and it goes with the side story. In other news, the Takenaka family now has an ask blog, run by our very on AU Shinsou Hitoshi. You can send them asks at ask-demigod-shinhito.tumblr.com/ask
> 
> EDIT 10/19/2018: ED for this arc is Day 6's Shoot Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2X2LdJAIpU


	9. Headaches Come In Threes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family gets some information on people connected to Shizuka, Hitoshi has a hard time during the Battle Trials because he's friends with an adrenaline junky apparently and also because he tries too hard, and Taiyouko forces their USJ trip to get pushed back even further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OP for this arc is Red Velvet's #Cookie Jar - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRgTMs_bGuI
> 
> In which Hitoshi needs more direct human interaction. Keyword: human.

The next day, early in the morning because Hitoshi can’t sleep to save his life and Shizuka is an enabler who can survive on four hours, they go out to get the stuff for Luna. A collar, so no one thinks she’s a stray, with their apartment address and her name listed, along with a mention of her quirk. They’re borrowing High Specs from Nedzu, for the hell of it. There’s a cat tree scratching post, and bowls for food and water, and a cat bed patterned with little moons.

They arrive home in time for breakfast. Yagi-sensei and Shota-nii stayed over and are being questioned by Luna while Taiyouko-haha makes something that’s delicious and savory but not recognizable. Yagi-sensei also seems able to eat it, so she may have made it up.

“Luna has something she wants to tell us,” Taiyouko-haha says, after a few minutes of quiet eating.

Luna glares at her. “I wanted to tell Us-Shizuka that I can sense others from the Silver Millenium. Others from our previous clashes could also be around. And if I can sense them, that means they’re likely in the Tokyo area.”

“So, these...others,” Shota-nii says, soft and slow. “They’re like Shizuka and Youko? They’ve got multiquirks, likely, based on the abilities they used to have?”

“It’s very likely,” Luna agrees. 

“We’ll help look,” Shota-nii says. “I’m not part of the family, but I hang around two of the three here enough that I might notice. Besides. Yagi and I are the only ones with this-lifetime combat experience.”

Taiyouko-haha hums.

“Legal, this-lifetime combat experience,” he amends, eye twitching.

Yagi smiles a little. “Taiyouko-sama, counting those things…”

Hitoshi shrugs. “I can look too, right? It’s possible I may find them too? Do you think the names are the same?”

“Probably,” Shizuka says, “Mostly. My name was the same until Aneki changed it. For safety.”

“Safety?” Luna asks, glaring again at Taiyouko-haha.

The adults are quiet for a moment. “There was an incident,” Yagi finally says. “It isn’t talked about. It was ten years ago, anyways.”

As they’re putting away leftovers and getting dressed (Yagi in more clothes that actually fit and Shota-nii in his washed hero outfit), Yagi pipes up again.

“Hitoshi-shonen… Today we’re going to do mock battles in class 1-A. I can’t decide who you’ll pair with or who you’ll be against, but I wanted to warn you because…”

“Because my quirk isn’t as flashy as some people’s?” Hitoshi asks.

“Because you’re Taiyouko-sama’s son,” Yagi clarifies. “So I unconsciously put you with Midoriya on those I want to see better themselves but want to protect, too. Shizuka, also, but she’s in Support.”

Shizuka smiles. “I’m glad I’m in support. I won’t trip up and call you Toshinori-nii. Same with Shota-nii.”

“You do well when you’re forced,” Shota-nii notes, wrapping his capture weapon around his neck. “Hitoshi, you’re going to need some practice with yours before I’m willing to let you use it, so you’re not using it today.”

Hitoshi huffs. “Fine.”

“Let’s go,” Yagi says, already heading for the door.

“Bye Luna!” Shizuka says, grinning.

“Don’t burn down the apartment!” Taiyouko-haha adds.

“Come on, we’re going to be late at this rate,” Aizawa snaps. 

“We probably shouldn’t all come in at the same time, Hitoshi, Shizuka, you two should wait a few minutes with Takenaka. Aizawa, you’re always the first in,” Yagi says, taking charge. 

“No, you’ll come in with me,” Shota-nii says. “It’ll be fine. Mic and Midnight already know we crashed here. The question is if the kids are actually allowed in at the same time as us.”

There’s squabbling, but eventually they all pass the school gates together and head to the teachers’ office. Taiyouko-haha pulls one of her computers out of nowhere and takes over the couch at the back. Yagi and Aizawa-sensei sit at their desks and go over how to avoid the worst of the worst in that days mock battles.

Shizuka heads over to the fridge and starts storing the various bentos that Taiyouko-haha had her carry on the way.

Hitoshi flops onto the other side of the couch with a huff. “I’m going to die.”

“Should I get a pass to help with the hero class?” Shizuka asks, pitching her voice over to the two co-teachers. 

Aizawa turns around in his seat, a contemplative look on his face. “I got called on to help your class go over rescue situations, so I’ll be in 1-I during it. However, if anything happens, Yagi can call me and we’ll both head over. Deal?”

Shizuka shoots him a perky salute as some of the other teachers start to filter in. 

Present Mic swings over by where Hitoshi and Taiyouko-haha are sitting, asking about some kind of joint project that the two teachers must have been talking about the night before. Midnight is the one who shoos the two students out and to their classes.

Classes during the first part of the day go fine. He’s one of the three students (because he can tell Izuku is holding back) to understand Mic’s English work. Taiyouko-haha passes out a syllabus, one he realizes he helped write because it’s for her  _ beginning quirk history class _ .

“You’re giving us college work,” he accuses, and rightly so.

She smiles. “You are all in the best of the best school, in a hero course. How many of you will actually go to college?”

There’s some mutterings, mainly from YaoMomo and Bakugou of all people. Hitoshi is well aware that he’s going to end up with a degree because Taiyouko-haha has been plugging in independent study credits for him since he moved in and started meeting the family. Shizuka feels the same misery and is currently taking an online anatomy class on top of UA.

“So,” Taiyouko-haha says to them, her fist pumping up, “You’ve got to go Plus Ultra while you’re here!”

He’s going to die.

Or he would if he hadn’t done most of this coursework already and even if she told him to pick different topics he knows how to do the assignments already.

Then, after lunch, he really thinks he’s going to die. He gets his prototype hero costume, a slim fitting grey turtleneck and cargo pants with thick lavender stripes that are placed on fourth marks for the front of his torso, going from the top of his abdominals to mid-thigh, even on the separate pieces. He’s also got a utility belt and a set of Persona Chords, to help him mimic others voices, but Aizawa-sensei did hold back with the capture weapon as promised. His combat boots are black and insulated with rubber soles. He’s paired with YaoMomo in team C. The first to go, however, are Izuku and Uraraka versus Bakugou and Iida.

Something, Hitoshi realizes, while the two teams are setting up, is off.

“All Might-sensei,” he says, “I think you should give Aizawa-sensei a heads up.”

Yagi--All Might-sensei looks down at him, right as the battle starts. He doesn’t say anything until the match really gets going, with Bakugou blasting straight towards Izuku. Then, the pro pales and sends off a text message.

In the end, it’s still a Phyrric Victory for the heroes, and Hitoshi is going over battles in his head from long ago to keep calm because they just blew up a building. Izuku and Bakugou just blew up a building, and Izuku’s being healed by Shizuka. He’s mentally reciting the Odyssey in original Greek all the way through the B-I battle, which B wins, and H-J, which J wins. Then, he and YaoMomo are up against Kaminari and Jirou and he has to stop and channel this into a win.

He and YaoMomo are the villains.

“You set up traps, I’ll hold them off?” he asks, briefly. “And maybe we should move the bomb?”

YaoMomo frowns, then nods. They haul the bomb off to another room and then YaoMomo, bless her, makes a cardboard stand-in to go where it should have been, that’s rigged with some kind of webbing to capture the heroes if they touch it. It’s a nice thought, but it’s still a cardboard cut out.

He heads down to greet their guests.

Jirou can listen in the walls, find them. Kaminari can shock the hell out of him if he gets a hit.

Hitoshi touches the wall, far down the corridor, and decides that he’ll take cues from a horror movie he and Shizuka watched back in middle school.

“ _ This floor, lights, off _ ,” he whispers, then ducks out into the maze of hallways. He can hear Kaminari’s “What the fuck?” and Jirou’s calm “Settle down, All Might can hear us” coming closer.

He pops out when they’ve passed his current position and he whispers, “ _ This floor, lights flicker. _ ”

Kaminari screeches. 

“Floor, quake,” Hitoshi murmurs, but his voice cracks. He’s hit a barrier? But there weren’t supposed to be anymore for awhile. He hit a barrier thou--.

He realizes his mistake as the information floods in. Every thing he could do, some he’d never think of, and that point on his head burns. He ducks back into a hallway, Authorizes the lights to black out there, and waits for YaoMomo to capture them.

“Shinsou-shonen,” he can hear All Might’s voice in his ear piece. “Shinsou-shonen what’s wrong?”

The range grows wider, until it encompasses the observation room, and he can feel the concern in Yagi, in Shota-nii, in Shizuka.

Hitoshi clicks his earpiece and he doesn’t recognize the voice that comes out. “There are so many possibilities,” it says, and then it giggles.

YaoMomo must have heard it too, because she’s vibrating concern now too.

Hitoshi forces himself back in control, “YaoMomo,  _ capture them _ . I can’t keep this up much longer.”

He doesn’t realize that he used Authority until “Villain Team Wins” fills his ears. He vomits onto the concrete, trying to solidify all those options, all the plans, into one. Just get back to the observation room, he insists to himself.

He walks out, after his classmates, head burning, and walks right past the observation room and back to the school. He doesn’t realize it until his face is buried in Taiyouko-haha’s lap and he’s telling her how he could destroy everything and that’s terrifying. 

Her smile is kind, and concerned, but when he tells her it’s terrifying she nods and says, “And isn’t that the most interesting thing?”

Everything crashes back into place with those words.

“You want to be a hero,” she says, once his forehead has stopped burning and he’s filtering through the information. “So you need to learn how to tune out the destruction and pick out what you need… Maybe you should spend the weekend with Ama-chan.”

He shakes his head. “No, I don’t have time. I need to get this down.”

She pauses, nods. “Then focus on getting it down.”

Aizawa-sensei drags him back to class, the day finishes. Shizuka and Yagi come home with them. The next day, they pick class representatives and Hitoshi gets two votes, Izuku gets three, and YaoMomo gets four. 

There’s a breach in security, and Aizawa-sensei purses his lips and comes home with them again that night, talking to the other adults and Luna in hushed tones.

The next day, Aizawa-sensei announces they’ll be taking a field trip to the USJ in three days, with that same sour look. Their history class is a quiet study hour, which is sorely needed since half of the other kids have no clue what’s going on. 

Then Taiyouko-haha comes in during hero training, with Aizawa-sensei and All Might-sensei, with a cheeky smile and covered in dust.

“We have to push back the field trip,” she says. “There’s been damage. I’ve let Thirteen know already, but I’m taking Hitoshi out for the rest of the day.”

Hitoshi looks up from where he’s sparing with Kaminari, kicks the other student out of the ring, then heads over to his mother. 

“Are you okay?” he asks, putting a hand on her elbow.

“Yeah,” she says, grinning. “Just… Aizawa, All Might, can you bring my sister home today?”

There’s nods, ‘of course’s, and then the two of them sweep off to The Cat’s Eye where Taiyouko-haha decompresses and spoils him and the cats a bit before they go home. They’re greeted by Shota and Yagi and Shizuka, looking terrified.

“I asked Thirteen what happened,” Yagi says, an attempt at an explanation.

Shizuka and Hitoshi do their homework while the adults crash on Taiyouko-haha’s bed, letting Luna oversee everything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ED for this arc is Day 6's Shoot Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2X2LdJAIpU
> 
> There will be a side story for this chapter, but I'm not sure when. I've got an idea for NaNo that is taking precedence over my normal OrigWork in my head right now. 
> 
> This was a lot of plot that I had to take care of quickly, to get on to the next parts, but thankfully we'll get some fun interactions next chapter.


	10. A Name For Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hitoshi is paired up with Todoroki for an assignment and things get...hot. Later, Hitoshi and Shizuka meet Mizuno Ami and Class 1-A comes up with their hero names.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bless Hitoshi for being easy to write... This got a little long because Todoroki.
> 
> OP for this arc is Red Velvet's #Cookie Jar - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRgTMs_bGuI

While the USJ is repaired, Aizawa-sensei pairs the class up and assigns them to go through a villain roster (which Hitoshi recognizes with a smirk) and pick who would be the better hero to go up against those villains out of the two, or if it should go to another classmate. The roster has villain name, a mug shot, and a brief description of their quirk. Izuku’s going to rock this.

“This is a little weird,” Todoroki says, as Hitoshi scoots his desk over.

Aizawa-sensei picked the pairs. Bakugou is paired with Kirishima in one corner and Izuku is paired with Asui on the other side, so Hitoshi isn’t upset.

Still, being paired with the school’s only Oz-alike is a little disturbing.

“It’s not the weirdest thing we’ll do, I think,” Hitoshi says, pulling out his half of the roster. It’s mostly small time villains--ones that Eraserhead has put away since the first month of the year. It’s not the same as the one Hitoshi pulled up, but there are a few recognizable repeats.

“This guy has a flame quirk, so I’d probably be good against him,” Todoroki says, pointing to a smuggler in the corner of Hitoshi’s paper. 

“This guy needs to charge up his power,” Hitoshi comments, pointing to a bank robber. “That must have been funny. Oi, Aizawa-sensei! What was the look on, uh…” He looks back at the roster for the name. “What was the look on Megoid’s face when his quirk didn’t come out when planned?”

Aizawa-sensei looks up from where he’s pointing things out to YaoMomo and Uraraka. “The super-strength guy who needs to charge up? Oh, hm. Didn’t pay much attention. You’ve got the arrest date on there, I’m sure there’s some security footage.”

Hitoshi snickers and pulls out his phone. “ _ Shinsou Hitoshi phone, pull up bank security footage between… _ ”

“3:30 and 3:45,” Aizawa-sensei supplies.

“ _ Between 3:30 and 3:45 from Boro Central Bank from March 3rd of this year and play. Fast forward 2x. _ ”

The hologram appears in front of them, rewinds, then plays at the advanced speed, showing Eraserhead trading blows with Megoid and then Megoid suddenly going slack-jawed, devastated, then furious. 

“Oh I could have got him,” Hitoshi says. “Nice job sensei.”

Aizawa ruffles Hitoshi’s hair. “Work. Or you’ll have to take Todoroki home to finish the assignment. No one wants to subject him to that.” Then he wanders towards the back to knock some sense into Bakugou.

“Are you Aizawa-sensei’s secret love child with Takenaka-sensei?” Todoroki asks, instead of doing the work.

Hitoshi levels him with a look. “Does Takenaka-sensei look like someone who had a kid before entering UA?”

The look makes Todoroki pause. “Sorry, you just look a lot like Aizawa-sensei.”

“Thanks, it’s the trauma,” Hitoshi replies, in time with Aizawa.

Aizawa then turns around to look at them, sighs, and tells Hitoshi, “Tell your mother we have an extra guest tonight, if you two aren’t going to do your work.”

Hitoshi huffs. “Izuku and Mei are already coming, and Yamada-sensei and Kayama-sensei were asking about hot-pot earlier. Is our apartment big enough for this?”

Aizawa looks pained. “Youko’s gonna kill someone.”

“Probably Yamada and Kayama,” Hitoshi assures him.

“I invited Ingenium over too, since he’s in town.”

Iida perks up. “My brother mentioned taking me to someone’s house today.”

Hitoshi looks at his mentally crumbling teacher/one of his pseudo-father figures and says, “I’ll see if we can rent out that barbecue place near the apartment? Just, everyone else out? Does that sound okay?”

“If you need my credit card, ask.” Aizawa starts to trudge back to his desk.

“I have Okaa-san’s.”

Aizawa whips his head around, quirk activated in surprise. “Sorry, I just…” He pulls out his own phone. “Repeat that. For the camera.”

Hitoshi gets the distinct feeling there’s a bet involved. “Do I get a cut?”

“Do you  _ want  _ alcohol?”

Hitoshi stares straight into the camera. “I have Okaa-san’s credit card.”

Aizawa taps on his phone a few times and then grins. “Three different bets won.”

“How much sake are we drinking tonight.”

“More than is legal, even at my age.”

“So, are you guys related? Do you live together?” Todoroki asks. The rest of the class is also clearly invested.

“He’s in love with Okaa-san and spends more time at our apartment than his. Yagi-sensei, the tall man who went to the zoo with us, also spends more time at our apartment than his own. When you add in Present Mic, Midnight, Ingenium, Midoriya, and Hatsume, along with Shizuka and me who actually live there, it’s a little…”

“Overwhelming,” Aizawa finishes, muffled as he’s somehow already in his sleeping bag. “Barbecue, then the children return to the apartment to do their work.”

“You just broadcasted Aizawa-sensei’s feelings for Takenaka-sensei to the whole class,” Aoyama shrieks.

Iida goes into scold mode. “That’s not appropriate at all! I’m sure it’s a sore subject.”

“Not manly at all to do,” Kirishima adds.

“It’s not like it’s embarrassing, he’s hardly the only one,” Hitoshi says. “Or like she doesn’t know.” His voice drops to a whisper. “The only person who doesn’t know something is Aizawa-sensei, who doesn’t know it’s reciprocated.”

The girls in class go wild.

“You sure you’re okay with this kind of nonsense before we work on the project?” Hitoshi asks Todoroki, who he always assumed was kind of quiet. “Wait, you caused all this nonsense. You’ll do fine.” He tugs at the collar of his shirt; it’s getting kind of warm.

It gets warmer and he looks at Todoroki, who is staring at the newly exposed skin and  _ steaming _ .

“Stop that,” he says, gently smacking the other boy on the head. It’s automatic at this point--it’s what the protocol is for Oz.

“Sorry,” Todoroki says, and promptly catches on fire.

“What the fuck?” Hitoshi says quietly, grabbing the other roster paper. “Sensei, Todoroki’s having a quirk malfunction!”

“Good job!” is the very Shota-nii reply. Then, more Aizawa-sensei, “Take him to Recovery Girl.”

Izuku helps him drag a suddenly protesting Todoroki to the nurse’s office.

Recovery Girl douses the boy in water, then turns to Hitoshi. “You know, admitting you have your mother’s credit card on your person is costing me two bottles of very good sake.”

“I hate everyone in this family,” Hitoshi says, completely deadpan.

“That’s fair,” Recovery Girl says. “You two stay here while we figure out exactly why Todoroki-kun had this, heh, flare up.”

“ _ Everyone _ ,” Hitoshi reiterates.

“I didn’t mean to,” Todoroki says. “Normally I can control it much better, but it was like…”

Hitoshi gets a very sudden drop in his stomach. “I’m going to call Ask-san.”

“Your family doctor?” Recovery Girl asks.

“He knows more about how my quirk effects people than anyone,” Hitoshi explains, “Because it might have had something to do with me. We were sitting, talking, distracted from our assignment and then…”

“Your father had this problem,” Recovery Girl tells Todoroki, which is apparently the wrong thing to say because he promptly puts up a wall of ice.

Taiyouko-haha pokes her head in. “Hito-chan, Ask-san just texted me with the realization he never sent you the multiquirk facet document. He’s sending it now.”

“Nice timing,” Hitoshi says, pointing at his classmate.

“Oh dear,” she says. 

“I can’t deal with this,” Hitoshi growls, covering his face with his hand. “I need to reserve the barbecue restaurant. Aizawa-sensei invited Ingenium and his brother. And Todoroki and I need to do an assignment after so he’s invited.”

“Tsuyu and I probably need to do it too,” Izuku admits, huffing out a laugh. “Because of this.”

“Todoroki-kun, should you let a family member know you’re staying the night?” Taiyouko-haha says. “You and Asui too, Izuku. Let her know. It’ll be too late after the partying and the sober-cure and the homework for you to go home.”

“I’ll let my sister know,” Todoroki says from behind ice walls.

“I’ll text my mom and let Tsuyu know,” Izuku says, slinking off.

Leaving Recovery Girl and Taiyouko-haha to talk Todoroki out of the ice while Hitoshi makes the reservations.

“Are you coming, Obaa-san?” Hitoshi asks, peeking his head back into the office to see that they’re having Todoroki mop up his puddle.

“Yes, yes. I need to buy Aizawa the sake. Nedzu and Hound Dog too, same reasons.”

“Yes, a party of sixteen. Maybe more. It’s a teacher party, who knows who will show up,” Hitoshi confirms. “I’ve got the credit card. For damages, though…”

Taiyouko-haha snatches the phone away from him and lists a different number. “Yes, that’s the school’s account number. So nice of the principal, to be doing this,” she says cheerfully.

“Ha,” Hitoshi says, flatly but still full of amusement. She rewards him with a wink.

“But yes the card that all the normal payment will be through is… And you’ll be ready by five? Perfect. Thank you.”

She hangs up and returns his phone to him, then pulls him aside out in the hall. “You realize Todoroki-kun likes you, right?”

Hitoshi ducks his head. “I’ve been trying not to do anything to aggravate it.”

She clicks her tongue and brings his chin up. “Look, you can hope that ignoring his advances and such will help, but…”

“Let me guess, my quirk biology?” Hitoshi asks.

“We didn’t go over it, but we should have. We weren’t sure. It’s not exactly the quirk biology, though your pheromones do play a part. Basically, once someone is attracted to those pheromones...people can get possessive and…” She trails off. “If he finds someone else, that’d be good. Otherwise, we’ll have to completely separate you two. That is, if you don’t want to…”

“I don’t know if I want to,” Hitoshi hisses. “I don’t know if something is wrong with me but, like...I don’t know if I’m actually attracted back? I mean, I know he’s attractive. He looks so much like Oz. It’s just…”

She hums, stops him. “Demisexuality, possibly? Look into it. Just… Be careful, Hito-chan. Treat him like you would Oz.”

“I did, I followed Oz protocol and he caught on fire.”

Taiyouko-haha frowns. “I wonder...He may not be used to the kind of interaction that we have in our family. And I’d say it was probably a positive reaction, so... “ She frowns deeper. “I’ll talk to Recovery Girl about this. Take Todoroki-kun back to class. I’ll see you at barbecue.”

He nods. 

***

A few days later, on a Saturday afternoon, Shizuka drags him to the people watch. They take turns pointing out several students, then Shizuka gets a glimpse of some girl with blue hair and goes sprinting.

He runs after her, content to pull her away from being a weirdo.

When he catches up, though, the two girls are just staring at each other.

“Sorry,” Shizuka finally says, breathing deeply. “I just… Are you Mizuno Ami?”

She nods, frowns. “Yes, the genius girl.”

Hitoshi snorts. “My friend, we go to UA.”

Her eyes light up. “Oh, so you’re used to people with high IQs!”

“Do we call Nedzu a people?” Hitoshi asks, leaning on Shizuka. 

“I think Nedzu should be called a people if we don’t want extra assignments,” Shizuka says.

“But, uh, you also look familiar,” Mizuno says. “Um, not you,” she clarifies, pointing to Hitoshi. “Her.”

“Yeah,” Shizuka says, nodding. “I think I know why. Do you have some time? I’m Takenaka Shizuka. My sister is a Classical Quirk Analyst and...I think we’ve been looking for your quirk.”

Mizuno’s eyes widen again. “Takenaka Taiyouko?”

“Yeah, that’s my mom,” Hitoshi says, grinning.

Mizuno seems to take his Totoro grin in stride. “Maybe, we could share numbers? My mother wants me to pick something up really quick but...We could meet up later?”

“Our door is always open,” Hitoshi says, scribbling down he and Shizuka’s numbers and their address. “If we move we’ll update you. It seems like it might be coming.”

“So many people,” Shizuka agrees.

Mizuno smiles; it’s a very pretty smile. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ll text you both.”

A few hours later, she does. Shizuka lights up and dances around the apartment. Luna perks up. Taiyouko-haha looks rather pleased too.

“We really do need to get a bigger place, though,” she admits to Toshinori, who’s caught on that it’s one of Shizuka’s past life friends.

“We could go in together,” he suggests.

Hitoshi looks over at them and smiles.

***

“It’s early, normally we’d wait until after the Sports Festival,” Aizawa says, frowning, “But  _ someone  _ wanted to get into this early. So, Midnight decided she’d help you with hero names today.”

The class goes wild.

Hitoshi huffs and looks over at Izuku, who is obviously thinking. Izuku catches his eyes and grins.

Midnight pops up to the front. “These are only provisional names. The Sports Festival will get Pro Heroes interested in you to intern with them, so normally we’d do names after that, but today we’re doing it early!”

They get fifteen minutes. Hitoshi goes first. “The Mind Bending Hero: Jailbreak,” he says, grinning. Midnight is slightly confused, but cheers him on.

Todoroki goes a few after him. “The Paradox Hero: Glace au Four.” Midnight cracks up but agrees it’s a good name.

She tells Bakugou to change his name, which is great.

Finally, it’s only Tenya and Izuku.

Tenya goes up first. “Since I’m following in my brothers footsteps, I decided I should be the Speed Hero: Ingeniya!”

Midnight nods. “Nice, nice. It fits the family theme.”

Finally, it’s Izuku. He holds up his board. “The Analytic Hero: Aramis,” he says, grinning. “I thought about Deku, turning that into something. But I feel like with my quirk, and what Takenaka-sensei has taught me, it’d be best to take a name from a character who was smart and strong! Aramis was one of the Three Musketeers, and known for being very smart.”

“I like it!” Midnight says.

As they’re filing out of class, heading for the cafeteria, Hitoshi claps Izuku on the shoulder. “Nice choice, Aramis. All For One and One For All!”

Izuku grins back. 

“Mei’s going to want to change up your costume,” he adds.

Izuku hangs his head. “It figures.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be doing a side story for the barbecue because I'm trash. Should I also do a side story about Mei and Izuku and NEW SUIT?
> 
> ED for this arc is Day 6's Shoot Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2X2LdJAIpU


	11. Breaking a Wall for Your Friends (Ow...)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taiyouko is called away for family business, so mysterious relative Mode Oz is lecturing for her class. He gets a little...too in character for himself and Hitoshi breaks some brains.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OP for this arc is Red Velvet's #Cookie Jar - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRgTMs_bGuI
> 
> Taiyouko, as soon as she meets up with Ask-san, "I feel as though I've made a bad decision."

Taiyouko-haha may have gotten a steady job (compared to her university work which was really just a bunch of online classes and researching) but that didn’t mean some calls wouldn’t take her away, Hitoshi mused. This was just the first time since school had started that a call was doing that.

“You have everything for classes?” she asks, kissing him on the forehead. “And my plans for group tutoring?”

“Yes, Okaa-san,” he says, exasperated. “We went over them three times after you got the call…”

“I know, I know. Just... “ She sighs. “Nedzu needed a sub, and since he’s the best adult in the family to go over my stuff besides Ask-san, who is meeting me there, Oz is taking over my history classes today.”

“I know how to deal with Oz.”

“You know how to deal with Oz among family, or with only a few non-family members around. This is Oz around all of your classmates.”

He thinks for a moment. “Can I have a taser?”

She groans, but the corners of her lips are turning up. “No. You’ve got something better. Now, Toshinori is taking you guys home today but he has to leave right after. If you need anything, Shokun is patrolling the neighborhood next to ours tonight.”

He hums in acknowledgement, then waves her goodbye as she heads to the airport for a five a.m. flight. Surprisingly, he’s the only one up, and now the house is empty except for him and Shizuka. Luna’s taken to spying on Mizuno-san, confirming that she’s both 1) the person they think she is and 2) safe. So far, signs point to yes on both questions.

He crashes on the couch again, waking up with his phone alarm two hours later and getting breakfast ready. Taiyouko-haha should be boarding about then. Shizuka burns through her omurice and then they head to school. 

Oz appears behind them just before they reach the school, coming between them to loop an arm around Shizuka’s shoulder and place careful fingers on Hitoshi’s.

They give him a mutual slap on the head.

“Unfair, you guys.” He pouts, then walks backwards ahead of them. “You’ve got to call me sensei today.”

“No we don’t,” both teenagers say.

“Okaa-san said we didn’t,” Hitoshi says. “The other students have to call you sensei, though. What are you going by?”

Oz pouts again. “I wanted to go by Takenaka, but Otou-san and Okaa-sama vetoed it. So, I’m Mode Oz.”

Hitoshi tilts his head, filing that piece of information away for later.

Oz catches the look. “Don’t go digging just yet, Toto.” His fingers wrap around Hitoshi’s wrist, a light touch, tentative and guarded. “You won’t understand the full gravity of the situation just yet.”

Shizuka nails him with her backpack. “Shut up, don’t you have teachers to introduce yourself to?”

“Yeah, yeah,” the red head mutters, rubbing his cheek as a bruise deepens then vanishes before their eyes. “Get to class.”

So they do. 

Izuku waves hello and Todoroki’s eyes track him, like they have since the party at the barbecue restaurant. 

“Okaa-san was called away on family business,” he announces.

“Study hour!” several students yell.

“So we have another relative of mine handling the lessons,” he finishes. “Honestly, we need to make a study group for her class or something if so many of you are having trouble. It’s seriously Izuku, Bakugou, Asui, Kirishima, and me handling the curriculum. And I know Bakugou has been tutoring some of you so you’re not failing, but maybe I should just lead a session where I run through everything.”

YaoMomo seems to agree with that assessment. Todoroki looks ashamed and hopeful, which Hitoshi knows why because he’s been helping grade assignments. For a Shintoist, which he knows Todoroki is, he’s remarkably bad at putting together lists of powers held by mythological figures. Or maybe that’s why. Iida remarks about putting together a time for everyone.

Aizawa-sensei comes in, makes the substitute announcement with dead eyes, then tugs Hitoshi out into the hall. “Have you told them anything about Oz?”

“Just that he’s a relative,” Hitoshi says.

Aizawa-sensei grimaces. “You’ll keep him contained?”

“As much as possible,” Hitoshi agrees. “Um…”

“I like Oz, I do, he’s mostly a good kid,” Aizawa-sensei says, frustratedly going into Shota-nii mode. “But he’s very good with his quirk. Do you know what it is? It’s one of those multiquirks.”

Hitoshi nods. “I’m pretty sure it’s some variation of Contract. He can see what people would most want to sell their souls for and he can give them that, in exchange.”

Aizawa-sensei pinches the bridge of his nose. “He’s going to wreck havoc.”

“He’ll be professional.”

“I mean with your class specifically,” he adds. “All of you… And the fact that they get to be around you all the time…”

“What do you mean?” Hitoshi asks.

“Your mother took a picture of Japan’s consent laws and put it as his phone background, then locked it in a way that he can’t take it off,” Aizawa-sensei says, deadpan. “He’ll stick to it. Kid’s lawful evil if anything. But he’s possessive.”

“Oh,” Hitoshi says, quietly. “Kinda knew that already, but he’s been very hands off.”

“Yeah, but what’s going to happen when he and Todoroki are in the same room?” Aizawa-sensei says knowingly. 

Hitoshi’s eyes go wide. “Oh no.”

“Don’t get too involved,” Aizawa-sensei says. “Just...If anything happens, get Todoroki to answer one of your questions. Get any of them to answer your questions.”

Hitoshi nods, then they go back inside and Aizawa-sensei preps them for the rest of their day. Classes go smoothly, and then Oz steps in. He doesn’t address the class, simply writes the surname he’s using on the board and, then, below that, Gehenna Multiquirks in perfect white letters.

He turns back to the class and smiles.

“I’m Mode Oz, and I’ll be your substitute teacher for this lesson. We’ll be learning about the quirks that appear in discussions of beings known to the Western world as  _ demons _ .”

Hitoshi feels a chill run down his spine.

“There are a few different categories that demon multiquirks can fall under,” Oz says, turning back to the board. He quickly marks down three: Possession, Decay, and Contract. “These are only three, and they’re rather broad. Mm, blondie?”

Kaminari is waving his hand. “So, if you’re like Takenaka-sensei, which you probably are if you’re here, then you have a multiquirk and since you’re teaching these, you have one of them, so which one is it?”

Hitoshi glares across the room at the blonde; he chooses now to be smart? How is this kind of stuff not popping up in his homework?

Oz laughs and the windows shake. His eyes shut, then he opens them to show the sclera overlayed with red light. “My quirk falls under Contract. I think the official paperwork says...ah, Wish-Trader.” 

His red eyes sweep over the class and Hitoshi knows what he’s doing. Whether he’ll act on it, though…

“I can grant any wish, for a price,” Oz says, a finger going to his sharp grin. Then he takes a few steps, places his hands on Todoroki’s desk, and says, “And I can see what all of your greatest wishes are.”

“Oz,” Hitoshi says, warning in his voice.

Oz ignores him. “Contract multiquirks, however, are quite structured. Like the phrase implies, a contract needs to be written up and signed.” He snaps his finger once, a piece of parchment appears. Twice, words write themselves onto the paper in glowing red. Thrice, a pen appears in his hand. “I can offer quite the deal.”

“Oz,” Hitoshi says again, quite forcefully. 

Todoroki’s eyes track the words on the contract, his quiet expression changing from horror to suspicion to horror again until finally landing somewhere between suspicion and, godsdamnit,  _ hope _ .

Just like that, like a crack in his voice, something shatters in Hitoshi. “Ozmode,” he snaps.

Oz’s head snaps toward him, glowing eyes ride.

Hitoshi stands up, shoulders slumped, and walks over to his relative. “ _ You will not use your quirk on any of my schoolmates. _ ”

Oz sucks in a breath. The contract in his hands and the pen disappear. He laughs, but it’s strained. “Oh this is just…” His irises, all black, are trained on Hitoshi now. He’s fighting the Authority. Hard. Not the order, Hitoshi realizes, but the absolute control that Hitoshi currently has over him. 

The moment Hitoshi loses that control, he’s not sure what’s going to happen. So, he says, “Hall.”

And the two of them go out into the hall. Just in time because as soon as the door to 1-A is shut, Hitoshi’s back is against the wall, just slightly off the ground, and Oz is snarling and then...oh.

Oz kisses him.

It’s closed lipped, brief, but Oz barely pulls back when it’s over. “Congrats,” he says, deep voice cracking with emotion, “You figured out how to pull that on Family.”

He slides Hitoshi back to the floor, then goes back in to lecture.

Hitoshi sits on the ground, staring at the wall. He hears footsteps, slow at first, two pairs, and then they start running.

Aizawa-sensei and Toshinori haul him up, they’re checking him over, and then he says, “I did it.”

“What do you mean, my boy?” Toshinori asks.

Hitoshi looks between the two teachers. His eyes hurt, his head hurts, and everything is buzzing. “I used Authority on a Family member.”

Both teachers suck in breaths, exchange looks.

“You call Youko,” Shota-nii says, “I’ll take him to Recovery Girl. We’ll see if maybe she can help with the boundary breakage blowback.”

“Should one of us check on Mode-san?” Toshinori asks.

“Yeah, after you call Youko. If what Youko has told me is right, he’s probably about ready to crack too.”

Hitoshi doesn’t know what that means, but he lets Shota hustle him to the nurse’s office.

“You might call in Takenaka Shizuka,” he hears Shota say. “She’s dealt with his breaks before.”

He doesn’t know how long has passed, but eventually Oz is wound tightly on the cot next to his and Shizuka is looking over them.

“You just went back and finished teaching?” she hisses as Oz. “Didn’t your father tell you what happens when you’re the first around when that boundary breaks?”

“Yeah, but Okaa-sama wanted me to teach the class,” Oz mutters back. It would be Oedipal, Hitoshi thinks, if they were actually related like that.

Then Shizuka is whispering her English phrase into his ear and everything calls, stops buzzing, clears up.

“And that’s when they knew,” he says, looking over at Oz, “They fucked up.”

Oz barks out laughter and Shizuka joins him.

Shota comes back in. “You two okay?”

“How’d you know I’d be…?” Oz doesn’t finish the question, just twirls his finger in the air by his ear.

“Youko said that when that specific boundary first broke for her she fucked the family member she used it on up for a week,” Shota replies. “Amazingly, the class got their lecture pretty well. But you’re both on bed rest for the rest of the day. Youko’s already on a plane back,  _ with  _ Ask-san. So you’ve got to deal with that.”

Oz flops over onto his stomach, burying his face in the pillow. “Just kill me.”

“Mood,” Hitoshi says.

“Same hat,” Shota agrees, sitting next to Hitoshi.

Recovery Girl comes in to chastise them for their dark humor memeing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, yes, underage mayfly-december has officially appeared instead of just being hinted at, don't worry Oz is not the reason this fic is Mature. He waits. Though you'll see in this chapter's side story that holy shit he doesn't want to. Lawful Evil indeed.
> 
> ED for this arc is Day 6's Shoot Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2X2LdJAIpU

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT 10/19/2018: ED for this arc is Twice's What is Love - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0p1bmr0EmE


End file.
